Statements as a teacher

I wrote these statements back in October as a reflection of where I was and where I needed to go. I decided to post them here as is as a sort of reflection now, in March, on where I came from.

Ten statements that I identify with (in no particular order) as a teacher are:

1. Equity Before Equality When maintaining a classroom I believe it is important to first look towards equity of opportunity before equality. I am reminded of the picture of the three children of different height standing at a fence and trying to look over it. In one frame they each have a box to stand on and it is called equality. The two taller children can see over the fence while the shortest is not able. The second frame says equity, the tallest boy has no boxes, the middle has one and the shortest has two and they can all see over the fence. In my classroom I do not just practice equity, I teach it, I have my class embody it, and it is meant to be a tangible concept rather than an afterthought. I do this by explaining my actions and decisions in a way that highlights my desired goal of equity.

2. Everyone Accepted Always On the note of equity I also ensure that everyone is accepted. No student in any way shape or form should feel like they are not welcome in my classroom environment. No factor such as race, sexual orientation, gender or ability will ever be consciously discriminated against in my classroom. However, with that, while bullying is not tolerated in my classroom, a student who has previously bullied has as much right to be in the room as well. That is to say that if a student who has been bullying another student wishes to make amends to those they have caused harm, and continue on in the classroom like everyone else they will be supported in doing so in a way that allows for everyone to feel secure within the class.

3. I believe in the nurtured heart approach I believe that the best “classroom management” approach is through the nurtured heart approach. Rather than a focus on student’s negative behaviours a focus should be on the positive. Rather than “student A, stop running in the class” use “I really like the way that student B is walking in the class, they are showing me great self-awareness and that they are respectful of not only their own safety but their classmates safety as well. If you need to see an example of what to do look towards student B’s greatness.”

4. I believe in Collaborative Education I believe that collaborative education is more beneficial than simple teach to class lecturing. Giving the students the opportunity to learn with and from each other has more meaning than listening to me at the front of the class.

5. I believe in a person first approach I believe that all students should be seen as people first, and their labels second. It is important to remember that they are their own unique individuals with lives that don’t begin and end with the ringing of the bell. The child with the reading disability is not the disabled child. He is a person first, who feels that disability and all the emotions that go with it: frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, relief and accomplishment. It can be difficult as a teacher to remember they are people and not just products to turn out for review sometimes, but it must be maintained that they are people.

6. I believe in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

7. I believe in taking a whole child approach to education It sounds kind of “out there” but when it comes to my students, I truly believe that Maslow’s Hierarchy has a place within the classroom. With that I believe it is important to take a whole child approach and one needs to take the hierarchy into account when doing so. The child who is hungry from eating neither breakfast nor dinner the night before is not in a position to really take in what you are teaching. As a teacher then, I believe it is my role to do what I can to alleviate these problems, in the above case starting a breakfast/lunch program for these students.

8. I believe that a teacher should be someone that students can actually approach To me, gone are the days where the teacher was a stern authority figure in the front of the class. A teacher is someone who, yes teaches, but is also able to relate. Not in the sense that we sit down every morning and talk about our personal lives in great detail, but enough should be shared that they know that you (the teacher) are as much a person with your own life as them. My associate teachers from this year and last all shared with their classes parts of their personal lives. Whether it was stories about their own children and pets or the hockey game they watched the previous night when their children went to bed.

9. I believe that a teacher should remember they’re not just a face to their students, but to their students’ families and even their community. Often I have seen in the news where a teacher has gotten in trouble for forgetting this notion. Yes, as above, you need to be relatable to your students but you also need to be

able to see the line and not cross it. After getting in trouble you often see teachers try and argue that their personal lives should not have any bearing on their job. But that’s not true because we don’t stop being role models when the bell rings, and we know that going in. Teaching is an incredibly rewarding job but it comes with incredibly high expectations and if you want the rewards of the job you need to be able to accept those expectations going in.

10. I believe that a teacher needs to be committed to constantly learning As we teach so must we also learn. We have an obligation, when working with people as we do, to ensure that we are giving the best that we can. That means constantly staying up to date on new approaches to teaching and being amenable to changing the way we do things when necessary.

Related Documents 1. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/about/education_equity plan_en.pdf 2. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/about/action_plan.html#01 3. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/code.html 4. http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=118152 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMleBswpo8

5 Strengths 1. I am highly empathetic 2. Willing to learn and adapt my teaching approaches

3. I am highly dedicated to teaching as a whole 4. I have a lot of educational experience with regards to working with children and youth 5. I have a strong sense of humour that I bring to the classroom

5 Areas of Improvement 1. I am somewhat uncomfortable with junior grade math 2. I have yet to teach a science class

3. I can be “scatter brained”

4. My ability to organize needs work

5.I am awful at remembering names 3. I can be “scatter brained” 4. My ability to organize needs work 5. I am awful at remembering names