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Vandevorst TAL M1 Reflection Assignment

Personal Teaching Philosophy Dominique Vandevorst Marygrove College

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My teaching philosophy has developed out of and continuous to be shaped by my own experiences as a student, knowledge gained through previous courses, my experience as a teacher, real life experiences and now through taking the MA in Teaching. My past experiences as a student are incredibly varied, from being shouted at in math lessons in high school because I did not understand a particular concept, or told when I first started at university that only 20 percent out of 300 students would make it to the end of the course to being supported and valued as a mature student with valuable ideas and contributions. Needless to say I thrived in the latter group and failed dismally in the others.

I believe that every student has the potential to achieve and to accomplish their dreams and that every student should have the possibility and the opportunity to develop and excel. My teaching philosophy is in line with McCoys (McCoy, 2008, as cited by Lane, 2008) thinking that each child is my employer and each child should be treated as my own. This for me is twofold: on the one hand I want to offer an academically strong curriculum and an optimal learning environment and on the other hand a safe, enjoyable, social and stimulating classroom environment. In my position as teacher I am solely there for the students. Their emotional and social well-being and development as learners are my first priority. I believe that when a child does not understand or achieve his objectives it is I who need to rethink my strategies and approach. For example if I explain a math concept to a student verbally but the student does not grasp the concept because he or she is predominantly a visual learner then I need to adapt my teaching practices and make sure I explain the concept in a visual way so that the student can understand and process the information.

My teaching philosophy reflects that I care deeply about students, that I value them as human beings, that I see potential in each one of them and that regardless of background, economic or social situation they will be given the opportunity to reach their full potential. I am in the classroom to enable each student to be the best they can be (Zander and Zander, 2002). I want students to understand that the world is their oyster and that anything is possible if they are willing to learn to use different tools to access information, to learn the skills of how to think critically, to evaluate information and participate in a democracy (Lieberman and Miller, 2004). I believe that my task is to prepare students to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world (Lieberman et al, 2004, p.10). I want each student

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to know and understand that they can be a contribution in class, at home, in their community and within the wider world. Each one of them can be like a pebble thrown into a pond that will set change in motion (Zander and Zander, 2002). Within my classroom all learning whether it is math or drama should be relevant and connect to everyday life and the world we live in. For example when we are working on the reduce, reuse, recycle unit, we make graphs about how much waste our school produces in a week. We write conclusions and make persuasive posters in language lessons in order to convince people around us of the necessity for change in the way we throw out garbage. In drama we work on a play about saving our planet. As a teacher I believe I need to stay open-minded to the changes, challenges and opportunities that the present world bring with it, changing economy, technology, government, public life, demographics in order to be prepared and able to close the educational gap (Lieberman and Miller, 2004, McCoy, 2008, as cited by Lane, 2008).

My teaching philosophy sees me as the teacher as facilitator and guide to help students gain the skills and ability to be inquirers, risk-takers and become knowledgeable. I am the person who is there to help them open doors through which they can gain access to their full potential. I want students to enjoy learning and discover the gift of life-long learning. I want students to feel safe and supported within my classroom. I want them to understand that each one of them is valued for who they are. We often have circle time where we listen to one another and where we share some of the good and bad things that are happening around us. This helps each student to connect to one another and teaches them that they are all different and individual beings but able regardless of this to look out for one another and care for one another.

Within my classroom I aim for high standards from my students. I expect all students to do well and achieve highly regardless of their ethnicity, background or socio-economic status especially since I will adapt and differentiate my teaching to wherever students are at. I believe that I should be a leader in my classroom and aim high both with regards to students academic learning but also with respect to social relationships. The leadership survey results showed that I am a democratic or participative leader. This is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process. Researchers have found that this leadership style is usually the most effective and leads to higher productivity, better contributions from group members and increased

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group morale. Team members are encouraged to participate while the team leader offers guidance and retains the final say in the decision-making process (Lewin, n.d.). In my classroom students take part in the decision-making process. They help find solutions to issues or problems and by taking ownership they tend to see things through.

As part of my teaching philosophy I believe I need to collect data on a regular basis about each individual student which I can assess and review in order to inform my teaching (McCoy, 2008, as cited by Lane, 2008). If a student is struggling in class whether that is academically, socially or emotionally I try and find out what the cause is. I gather data, review it and use it to adapt to the students learning needs in order to help the student move forward. If a student is achieving at grade level I gather data, review it and use it to challenge that student to reach higher levels of learning. If necessary I discuss any issues with the coordinator, educational psychologist and parents\carers so that together we can help and support students. I clearly state to parents\carers what my expectations are of them and of the child. I involve and support parents\carers as much as I can.

I believe in a strong school-home link as this will support the student optimally. Open and clear communication with parents is vital in order to make sure each student stays on target and is thriving within the classroom and school community. This I do via email, phone or in person. I make myself as accessible and available as possible so that neither parents nor I wait with addressing any issues until problems or issues have escalated.

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References:

Lane, B. (Creator). (2008, July 18). The ABCs of educational leadership [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRAZ4iu-EgA Lewin, K. (n.d.). Quiz/Results Whats your leadership style? Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl-leadershipquiz.htm. Lieberman, A., & Miller, L. (2004). Teacher leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN-10: 0787962457 ISBN-13: 978-0787962456 Zander, B., & Zander, R. (2002). The art of possibility. New York: Penguin. ASIN: B003TEOR12 ISBN: 978-0-14-200110-3