Sarah Karadimas

February 2016

Frame of Reference
I believe my philosophy of education involves the development of the whole student. This
includes life skills such as nutrition, physical activity and learning about oneself in addition to teaching
the curriculum appropriate to their age in a way that inspires the student to learn. My philosophy of
education emphasizes literacy as the number one goal which includes reading, writing and
comprehension. This is supported by an emphasis on communication and teaching the student how to
learn. This can only be accomplished by meeting the students wherever they are in their learning journey
and further developing from there.
Beliefs about teaching and learning
I believe that teaching and learning can only be fostered in a caring environment. I believe that
learning comes from a place of relationship between the teacher and student and because of this it is my
responsibility to ensure a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions. Maslows
hierarchy of needs is a great indicator of the success that students can achieve in the classroom if the
teacher is able to consider and help meet the basic needs of the student within the classroom. In addition
to this it is my responsibility to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn in the way that is best
suited to them. There will be a variety of students in each classroom with different strengths, and needs
but it is the teachers job in the classroom is to give students a consistent and positive atmosphere that
will challenge them to visualize their own personal level success. Teaching is a stepping stone to show
students how to take responsibility for their own learning and interests. It is also the teachers job to
present material in a way that comes to life and becomes relevant in the life of the student. The
curriculum is not just about knowledge but an understanding of where it is relevant in their world. This is
accomplished by using resources and technology relevant to their lives. I believe that this can be

accomplished through differentiation in instruction as well as in assessment. The classroom is to prepare

students to create relationships, foster self confidence and to discover their talents and interests, and
teaching is acknowledging that each student needs and deserves to be nurtured in their individual growth
and learning path.
Belief about students
I believe that every student is unique in personality, background and learning style. Every student
has different strengths and weaknesses and every student needs to be met where they are when they come
in to my classroom and nurtured from there to a higher level. Every student despite their family, physical,
or learning challenges deserves the same amount of success in their learning, and confidence in their own
mind. Students need to be motivated to learn from a unique place within them and success will look
different for every student. I believe a classroom must make every student comfortable for learning and
every student deserves to be respected. Students will have a high expectation for good behaviour and
respect from their peers and their teacher. Respectful behaviour will be emphasized as not just a
classroom rule but a suggestion and model for life. The classroom will have a structure and be organized
in a way where all expectations are up front allowing everyone a fair chance to meet the expectations.
Beliefs about what is worth knowing, and assessment of that knowledge.
I believe that what is worth knowing will change as years go by, however my primary goals of
literacy and learning how to learn will always be of utmost importance. Literacy as my number one goal
includes reading, writing and comprehension. Once the students have mastered those building blocks it is
a natural segway to focus on effective communication and being confident in knowledge. I am thankful
that the new curriculum now reflects life skills and is a broad spectrum of content and competencies that
can be tailored to each individuals learning interests. This gives teachers the opportunity to teach content
that is relevant to the students and in a way that allows students to, by trial and error, become aware of
how they learn best. I believe it is my job to give students the opportunity to continue to use higher

thinking as they mature, such as blooms taxonomy, knowing that the students will succeed with
scaffolding (as in Vygotskys zone of proximal development) as they move from remembering and
understanding, to creating.
I believe that assessment is ongoing and is best when used to inform further areas of growth. I
believe expectations and criteria should be set with your students so that they may take ownership over
their learning and so that they may always have a place of reference. Formative assessment is used in the
classroom so that the teacher is able to adjust the learning journey to include all levels of current
understanding. It is also used to give students timely feedback so that they may have the chance to go
back to their work and self-assess if they have met the criteria. Summative assessment is best used to see
the big picture of the students learning journeys in any given subject. I believe it is important for
students to consistently be a part of their assessment, formative or summative.
How teachers should compose themselves
I believe a teacher should be professional, approachable and organized. Teachers need to be
aware of the challenges in each students life and be compassionate to their needs. It is important for a
teacher to always be looking at the bigger picture and for the teacher to challenge, inspire and genuinely
care for students. A successful teacher should always be learning and evolving as they gain experience
and be open to collaborating with other teachers and sharing resources. Teachers need to become the
students advocate for success in all areas of life and give every child the opportunity to learn. It is
imperative that a teacher be current on issues that may be affecting the lives of their students and affecting
their ability to learn (for example cyber bullying). It is also important to maintain a respectable reputation
in the community as well as with online presence. A good teacher needs the patience to face the
challenges in teaching and to not let an issue follow a student to the next year without addressing it. A
teacher needs to see a student that has challenges, not a challenging student and it is important for the
teacher to always assume the best of their students and help students assume the best of themselves.

Classroom environment
Upon entering a classroom, the environment should be welcoming and inclusive to all
backgrounds, religions and learning styles. The dcor needs to be engaging but not over stimulating.
Areas of the room should be designated as a showcase for parents of their Childs achievements. The
classroom should also have a designated learning corner with reading and writing resources and an area
of the room to foster creativity, invention and imagination. I believe that the desks should be set up in a
way that encourages group collaboration either in circles or groups of four depending on class sizes. In
the classroom a schedule will be clearly posted so students can know what they can expect of their day as
well as expectations of their behaviour which includes firm expectations of bullying.
Parent/Guardian involvement
As a teacher it will be my aim to connect with all parents/guardians and encourage parent
involvement. I will emphasize with them that my time with their children will be more effective if we can
work together as a team for the childs benefit. I will make sure to speak positively of the child in front of
the child, express concerns in private, but with the child when it is beneficial. I will be kind and gracious
to parents with children with challenging behaviours and hopeful to those with learning challenges. I will
express to the parents a genuine care for each child individually and their learning journey. To keep
parents connected I will send home monthly letters that review the focus of the class and I will also keep
communication books between the parent and me in the childs backpack.