My Philosophy Statement
I believe the purpose of education is to provide a pivotal starting point for the foundation of life, and every child deserves the chance to flourish as a student. It is my role as a teacher and leader to empower the future generation with the skills, knowledge, and understanding they require to be successful. I have a responsibility to foster positive learning environments that promote life-long learning attitudes that are necessary for fruitful lives. I believe that the ability for learners to thrive derives from positive relationships and community-driven environments where students, teachers, and parents alike play an active role that encourages learning and development. I have the opinion that a precise, yet flexible teaching and learning cycle caters to all students in the classroom, allowing each individual to stretch their learning capabilities and needs. It is also crucial for to me to endeavour in personal lifelong learning to further improve my practice whenever possible. For me, education is a rite of passage for life that I have the privileged opportunity to provide.
Professional Knowledge - Positive Relationships
Building positive relationships is a cornerstone of my teaching philosophy. In my personal opinion, the ideal learning environment revolves around positive relationships between everyone involved. As a psychology graduate it is essential to my being, as a person and an educator, that I am able to build positive relationships with my students. There is an abundance of research (Elias & Arnold, 2006; Noble & McGrath, 2008; Rogers, 1983) to suggest overwhelming benefits in student learning outcomes due to a positive teacher-student relationship, which I subscribe to and apply in my teaching approach. Additionally, I aim to cultivate a positive learning environment that is safe and secure, and one that promotes positive student-student relationships. These positive relationships will further motivation and engagement for learning for all students (Duchesne et al., 2022). ACARA (2018) also highlights personal and social capability as a general capability, which means it is a necessary component of the curriculum. Through advocating for positive student-student relationships, students will develop their personal and social capability. My views of positive relationships extend beyond the classroom, where I believe it is important to build such relations with caregivers, colleagues, and the school community alike. It is my desire as an educator to provide a learning space that promotes positive relationships.
Professional Practice - Teaching and Learning Cycle
I believe that teaching and learning should follow a cycle that encourages students to stretch their thinking and engage in learning. It is important for me to be flexible in my approach and adaptable in my teaching for optimal learning. My personal pedagogy follows the teaching and learning cycle developed by Derewianka (2016) where building a foundation of background knowledge for students to support their future learning is important followed by a gradual release of independence based on my judgment. I am also influenced by The Zone of Proximal Development produced by Vygotsky (1978), which ensures students are learning at their right readiness level. It is vital for me to have a pedagogical approach to teaching that encourages optimal learning for every student.
Professional Engagement – Lifelong Learning
It would be unreasonable and irresponsible for me to advocate lifelong learning within my classroom and not practice what I preach. I am a dedicated professional that strives to provide the best possible education for every student in my classroom. I believe it is imperative, aligning with the work of Ewing et al. (2019), to both value and seek improvement when and where I can. As aforementioned, I value relationships and social aspects in learning, and believe these can provide main sources of constructive feedback to improve my own performance within the classroom and the school. Not only do I believe the social aspect to be an important part in personal growth, but I also enjoy utilising self-reflection. As York-Barr et al. (2006) suggests reflecting on my own practice grants me the opportunity to critique my own expertise and further my potential as an educator. I thrive off consistent feedback from colleagues and believe in engaging with other professionals and experts can progress my teaching abilities.