| I believe that
education forms the foundation of society and that the future depends
on our commitment to fostering a love of learning, and mutual respect
of others within children. I believe that education provides children
with the knowledge they need to prosper, while also fostering
community-minded citizens, who understand the unique gifts of others. I
believe that teachers share the responsibility and joy of understanding
and cultivating children’s individual minds, alongside
parents/guardians, in turn, helping children succeed. I believe that teachers are facilitators of learning, assisting children in constructing knowledge. As Confucius wrote: “I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.” Piaget believed reality was not waiting to be found; it must be constructed from an individuals own mental and physical actions. In turn, I believe that teachers need to channel and support children’s learning, allowing them to construct their knowledge and discover meaning. I believe that teachers need to provide students with genuine curriculum, which is naturally interesting and challenging, helping students see their strengths and reach their goals, celebrating learning along the way. I also believe that teachers need to model learning, integrating themselves into the learning environment, and proving that they is a life-learner, and is genuinely interested in his/her students. Thus, teaching becomes the co-construction of meaning, rather than merely exchange of information, as I believe that as only through constructing meaning, using of a variety of modalities, will students come to fully understand the subject matter. I believe that it is imperative that teachers are attentive to the personal needs of their students. Children are individuals and need to be recognized as such. As Howard Gardner explained: “The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual, and thus to feel justified in teaching them the same subjects in the same ways.” Thus, I believe that it is essential that teachers create a richly creative and organic space in which students are given choices and room for self-expression, in turn, allowing them to understand their own abilities and potentials. I believe that teachers need to differentiate curriculum, using a variety of instructional strategies and modalities to meet the diverse needs and learning styles of their students. I believe that it is the responsibility of teachers to offer support, promote mutual respect and provide students with individualized instruction based on student need and interest. I also believe that teachers should guide their students to make positive decisions and actions, and help them come to understand that they are responsible for the choices that they make. I also believe that teachers need to set high, yet reasonable goals for all of their students, encouraging all children to be active learners and take ownership over their education. I consider teaching to be the highest calling possible. I believe that there is nothing more challenging or fulfilling than helping children discover all they can be and what they are capable, in turn sparking interests and fostering life-long learners. I believe that all children want to learn, and should be empowered and encouraged to do so in a safe, rich and stimulating environment, facilitated by a knowledgeable teacher who can accommodate a variety of learning styles and organize appropriate open-ended learning activities. I believe that it is my responsibility to advocate for all my students, and provide them with a wide range of educational experiences, allowing them to begin the process of discovering who they are, and how the feel, and how they learn. As a teacher, I seek to provide my students with positive learning experiences and opportunities to explore, discover, learn and grow as a whole (social, emotional and physical, as well as intellectual); while also creating a classroom community that encourages diversity, risk-taking, personal choice and responsibility, as well as cooperative problem-solving. I desire to combine the teaching of hearts and minds, inspiring curiosity and perseverance, while helping to create a new generation of life-long learners. |
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"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery" ~ Mark Van Doren
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