Goal 1:
The development of a clear, coherent and justified view of education:
One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
Beliefs, values, quirks, passion, personality: each teacher brings her own to the profession. Wrapped up altogether they can be expressed by a teacher's credo. The following is mine:
Credo
I believe education is the right of every child and should be right for every child.
I believe school is a social environment tailored to instruct kids how to act among peers- more experienced peers, less experience peers and peers with differing abilities while teaching them core skills that will translate into any future career path.
I believe the curriculum should encompass all aspects of teaching a child how to be a person, and going beyond facts and figures but also including core fundaments. The 'Arts', the 'Sciences', and 'Technology' should be so involved and intertwined that they can't easily be segregated into separate entities.
I believe the role of the teacher should be the 'guidance councilor' for the students by understanding the group dynamic, understanding the individual needs of the students, and conforming the curriculum to meet the needs of the students so they all grow as people, and academics. I believe the teacher should manage her classroom through honest feedback, building a good community, modeling and demonstration of problem solving, social responsibility, and social justice.
I believe that the curriculum is designed to enhance the student's personal growth and needs to be differentiated and tailored as much as possible to the student's needs. It should be flexible and adaptable to encompass an ethnically diverse classroom with students of differing strengths and areas for growth. I believe the curriculum should teach what these students need based on skill development and introduce them to new things.
I believe the parents should play an active role in the learning process. This process doesn't need to include help with translating French verbs (for example) but can still include discussions about parental beliefs and values to further enrich the child's education. Homework should incorporate these ideas so that the parents of all abilities can assist in building successes instead of increasing stress and anxiety.
I believe school should be a safe mini-community for students to branch off and invest in the community (volunteer work, etc) and likewise the community should invest in its students.
I believe the relationship between teacher and student should be one that can be viewed anytime by a third person. I believe that the student should feel comfortable sharing any concerns they might have, even if they are unrelated to classroom assignments. I believe it is not the teacher's role to instill values into the student, but rather to reinforce them. I believe the role of the teacher is to celebrate success, and encourage personal growth. I believe assessment should be ongoing and personal, through a variety of methods including projects, group work, individual assessments, and oral presentations. I believe that the student should be able to practice their methods of delivery to perfect them, and their reflections on learning should not be hindered by personal difficulties.
Above all, I believe in the following Chinese proverb:
I believe school is a social environment tailored to instruct kids how to act among peers- more experienced peers, less experience peers and peers with differing abilities while teaching them core skills that will translate into any future career path.
I believe the curriculum should encompass all aspects of teaching a child how to be a person, and going beyond facts and figures but also including core fundaments. The 'Arts', the 'Sciences', and 'Technology' should be so involved and intertwined that they can't easily be segregated into separate entities.
I believe the role of the teacher should be the 'guidance councilor' for the students by understanding the group dynamic, understanding the individual needs of the students, and conforming the curriculum to meet the needs of the students so they all grow as people, and academics. I believe the teacher should manage her classroom through honest feedback, building a good community, modeling and demonstration of problem solving, social responsibility, and social justice.
I believe that the curriculum is designed to enhance the student's personal growth and needs to be differentiated and tailored as much as possible to the student's needs. It should be flexible and adaptable to encompass an ethnically diverse classroom with students of differing strengths and areas for growth. I believe the curriculum should teach what these students need based on skill development and introduce them to new things.
I believe the parents should play an active role in the learning process. This process doesn't need to include help with translating French verbs (for example) but can still include discussions about parental beliefs and values to further enrich the child's education. Homework should incorporate these ideas so that the parents of all abilities can assist in building successes instead of increasing stress and anxiety.
I believe school should be a safe mini-community for students to branch off and invest in the community (volunteer work, etc) and likewise the community should invest in its students.
I believe the relationship between teacher and student should be one that can be viewed anytime by a third person. I believe that the student should feel comfortable sharing any concerns they might have, even if they are unrelated to classroom assignments. I believe it is not the teacher's role to instill values into the student, but rather to reinforce them. I believe the role of the teacher is to celebrate success, and encourage personal growth. I believe assessment should be ongoing and personal, through a variety of methods including projects, group work, individual assessments, and oral presentations. I believe that the student should be able to practice their methods of delivery to perfect them, and their reflections on learning should not be hindered by personal difficulties.
Above all, I believe in the following Chinese proverb:
Tell me – and I’ll forget
Show me – and I may remember
Involve me – and I’ll understand
Show me – and I may remember
Involve me – and I’ll understand