Teaching: Beyond the Classroom

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

                                                                                                   William Yeats

My Teaching Pedagogy

My teaching pedagogy will reflect an approach that is a balance between a student -centered classroom and a teacher- centered classroom. I believe a perfect balance must be attained between teacher guided lessons and student driven instruction, in order to provide students with an enriched educational setting.  I will hold the stance of a warm demander in my classroom. I will be a teacher that is both gentle and comforting to all students but will also have nonnegotiable demands in respect to student effort and mutual respect. I will communicate and insist that all my students perform at a high level. I will accomplish this with my students by establishing a caring relationship that convinces them that they are capable of doing whatever task I put in front of them because I BELIEVE IN THEM! It’s not a matter of what I say but how I say it.

 Classroom Atmosphere

One of the main creeds that will guide all of my classroom instruction will be, “We celebrate our mistakes”. In an environment where there is no distinction made between success and failure, the word failure would cease to be part of their vocabulary. In my classroom we will celebrate our mistakes, so students know exactly what is not working and seek solutions.  My students will understand that mistakes are teachable moments where everybody can learn something. Without a fear of failure, I feel students will be interested and motivated to be creative in their learning. I will also create an inclusive educational setting that focuses on developing good classroom management techniques. In my classroom, rules and procedures will be drafted by the students and myself to ensure that students are familiar with what is expected of them in my classroom.  I believe when rules and procedures are drafted by the students it will develop as a communal responsibility.

In order to understand and adapt my teaching to the strengths of my students, I will be actively engaged in the day-to-day lives of every student in my classroom. As a teacher I will take the time to learn my students interest and personal background, by doing this my students will know that I am not only interested in their academic achievement but their achievement through life as well.  Every student that comes to class will be embedded with a different learning style that they excel in. To provide an authentic learning experience that is intrinsically motivational, immersing myself into the lives of my students will become a high priority, so that I may meet the learning needs of every child in my classroom.  Creating an engaging learning environment that is conducive to inquiry learning will be my responsibility so every student can and will succeed.

Assessment

How I assess my students will coincide with my instruction. The tools that I use to assess my students  will serve a greater purpose than just providing a summative grade. Assessment “For and As” learning will play an integral part in my classroom environment.  I will use assessment for learning to cultivate and assist the learning process in my students. I will do this by continuously providing descriptive feedback to students that will aid in their learning. Assessment as learning will be developed over time by using strategies in place in my classroom. Through these strategies students will be able to self-assess and learn through reflective practice.  As a teacher I must act more as a guide, aiding each student in their reflective journey to learn.

Fostering 21st Century Problem Solvers

I must focus my attention on teaching and developing 21st Century learning skills with my students. I will accomplish this by creating an inclusive educational classroom where every student has a voice that is heard and respected.  Meeting the needs and priorities of every student will be a challenging responsibility that I will take on benevolently. Out of the box and critical thinking will be advocated in my classroom by providing unique learning experiences where students will be able to transfer what they learn into the real world. As a teacher, I have the responsibility to prepare my students for an ever changing world that they will be a part of. Global citizenship will be achieved by allowing students “to stand in another’s shoes and to see the world through another’s eyes.” My classroom will revolve around fabricating and fostering students into 21st century problems solvers. I will not be the proverbial “fountain of knowledge” which distributes information to passive learners.  Instead, I will be the teacher who engages students with higher order thinking. When students learn through self-discovery they take ownership in their learning.

My Professional Commitments

Finally, I will exhibit professional commitments that will demonstrate to colleagues and students the importance of lifelong learning. I will lead through example and be an active member in the school as well as in the community. Through extra-curricular sports, volunteer work, and charity fundraising, I will show my professional values and commitments. I not only have a responsibility to my students but also to myself to stay up-to-date and current in the latest knowledge and pedagogical content. As a teacher, I must keep an open line of communication between colleagues and parents. My fellow colleagues will be my life support, always present in the background ready to aid in any endeavour and I the same. I also must develop a strong communication link between myself and my student’s parents.  By continuous communication with parents, I ensure that my students receive the support needed at home and school.

Conclusion:

Teaching beyond the classroom is a motto I believing in dearly.  My responsibilities as a teacher are not just confined to the parameters of my school classroom. I believe my teaching philosophy is a reflection that good teaching requires going beyond the classroom to enhance student learning. The lessons that I will teach to my students through my teaching pedagogy will aid them in the future. The things they learn in my classroom will motivate my students to do great things in their lives for themselves and the communities that they live in. My students will know that there work is great because of the different assessments used to assist and develop their learning. Finally, my students will be 21^st century learners and become our problem solvers of tomorrow.