My Teaching Philosophy!

I acknowledge the importance of building a strong philosophy to underpin my teaching practice and professionalism. At the start of this degree I was told I will build a philosophy and passion for the way I teach. This all sounded a bit deep to me at first, but over the years through my connections with others, and my increasing professional knowledge and understanding I have developed my own philosophy and do feel very passionate about the values and beliefs that underpin it.

Teaching and learning in the 21^st century is not about children being empty vessels in which we fill with information, rather it is ensuring we offer children a learning environment which has all the right ingredients to allow them to co-construct knowledge, to grow and to thrive.  Children are not just the passive subjects of social structures and processes but are competent and capable individuals who are active participants in their own learning and development (James & Prout, 1997). Additionally, I believe every child has the right to an education in an equitable learning environment that values their home and community life and promotes their health and wellbeing. I have also developed beliefs about assessment. I believe we need to assess children’s learning in meaningful and authentic ways, rather than just focussing on ticking the boxes. I believe in assessing and documenting children’s learning and development in a way that views children in-the-present and empowers them.

 The values and beliefs that underpin my philosophy have been drawn from a range of sources, such as my own personal experiences from the past and present experiences with my own three children; academic readings and theories; conversations with colleagues and teaching professionals; policies and frameworks such as the Code of Ethics and EYLF; and from my observations and teaching experiences with passionate and dedicated Mentor Teachers. It is important to understand teaching in today’s time is a complex professional role due to the contemporary social, economic and political climate. Therefore, I also acknowledge that a philosophy is not set in stone; it is relevant to the context we work in and must be constantly evaluated through reflective practice, and continually redefined and built on.

Images

As an Early Childhood graduate I strongly believe the image we hold of children and childhood holds the essential key to our learners’ success. Assumptions we hold about children and early childhood determine the way we relate to children and affect our understanding and implementation of our role as an Early Childhood educator (Woodrow, 1999). It is through the adult’s gaze that we attempt to put children in their place and make them conform to an expected image (Holland, 2004).Therefore, we need to continually examine images that challenge our view and expectations of the child to assist to re-evaluate our philosophy. Current policy agendas position children as future-beings and their contribution to our future competitive global market, educators need to challenge this conventional representation of children and promote adult respect for children rather than adult dominance (Woodrow, 1997). It is vital we focus on children as ‘being-in-the-present’ (James & Prout, 1997).  As, it is when adults begin to value children for whom they are, not just what they want them to be, that a shift happens in the way we think about teaching and learning (Curtis & Carter, 2000). Consequently, we need to be self-aware of our own prejudices and biases that lead to pre-conceived expectations we have of children.

As an educator who is truly informed by evidence based research and theories about early childhood education I understand that children are active participants in their own learning and when given agency within the curriculum they are more engaged and achieve better outcomes over time. Children are inventive and full of ideas with rights instead of needs and we must offer them a meaningful and inclusive curriculum (Fraser & Gestwicki, 2000). I will adopt pedagogy of listening so every child’s voice is heard and the children have agency in their learning. In Early Childhood settings this is done through play initiated by children rather than imposed by adults; where educators are active participants supporting learning, promoting social interaction and modelling language, ideas and behaviour (Curriculum Exchange, Education Queensland, 2006). In the Primary setting where a standardised curriculum is in place we can still support and promote the image of the child through a teaching pedagogy that encompasses the involvement of the learner in the learning process through open-ended activities, inquiry-based learning and authentic assessment.

Relationships

I believe making connections and building partnerships is the essential ingredient to an educator’s success. I understand children are both products and producers of their environment who are continuously learning by interacting and deriving meaning.  Williams emphasises “the key to construction of knowledge is interaction” (Williams, 1994, p. 158). Consequently, I understand children develop within a complex system of relationships, as illustrated in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2010). First and foremost children are connected to a family; therefore, it is important that positive connections are made between the child’s home and school. It is important to understand children’s homes and schools are the most influential contexts in which learning and development occur. They are like ‘overlapping spheres of influence’ on children’s development and academic achievement (Galindo & Sheldon, 2012).

I understand children learn from birth and these early experiences reach long into adulthood. Hence, in order to build on children’s foundations and help shape learning, behaviour and health throughout their lives we need to view children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming (Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments, 2009). ‘Belonging’ is acknowledging that positive relationships with children’s families and community are crucial to a sense of belonging for the child. ‘Being’ is about knowing and accepting the child for the person they are and celebrating their uniqueness by letting children be in the ‘here and now’ and construct meaning of the world around them through their experiences and interactions. Finally, ‘becoming’ is then how the child is shaped by the many different circumstances and connections they experience whilst participating fully and actively in society. Building partnerships helps celebrate the diverse lives of the children we teach and demonstrate respect and understanding of differences (Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments, 2009). Therefore, I value open reciprocal and respectful partnerships with children, parents, families, and communities to assist in supporting the learning, development and wellbeing of the child. I acknowledge this is easier said than done and will take a strong effort on my part to involve parents and families. My learning environment will be a welcoming space for both children and parents. I am very approachable and will promote open communication with parents and families using an open door policy. However, I do also acknowledge parents are very busy these days and some may be reluctant or unable to come into the classroom, so I will use a range of different mediums such as newsletters, emails, postcards, and phone calls.

I believe building partnerships also needs to extend to professional and collegial relationships, which are just as important and valuable. It is through strong alliances with fellow professionals, colleagues and school staff that educators can draw advice, ideas and support. Professional conversations and sharing of information, resources and ideas enriches our teaching knowledge and understanding (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, & Le Cornu, 2011). We are all here for the same reason, and that is for the children, so by supporting and sharing with one another we benefit the children and their success. My learning environment will aim to be not just ‘me as teacher, and students as learners’ but rather ‘us’ as a learning community.

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

Today’s educators have strong political pressures for improved learning outcomes and identifiable learning results (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2010). Teachers are accountable for teaching and assessing students effectively, therefore it is important that assessment is purposeful and used to support and enhance learning and not just used as merely a way to grade students and collect quantitative data (Walker, 2007). As professionals we need to be able to justify the decisions we make in the classroom and provide evidence of learning. The Dimensions of teaching and learning (Education Queensland, 2011) is a valuable guide to ensure curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, feedback and making judgements align. Backward mapping helps educators identify what it is they want the students to know and be able to do and then decide the best way to get them there. Firstly, it is important to know your learners, where they are at, and their prior knowledge and understanding. By profiling students we are able to better plan and provide appropriate learning experiences and opportunities for teaching (Walker, 2007). When planning our lessons we need to acknowledge and respect student differences and preferred learning styles and abilities to provide inclusive learning practices and differentiation in our instructions. Gardner affirms that we all have individual learning styles and process information depending on our learning preferences (McInerney, 2006). I acknowledge children learn in a variety of ways and no one teaching method is suitable to all students (Killen, 2009), therefore I strive to master a range of styles so to not disadvantage or marginalise students.

Gandini emphasises “the wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivation and the richer their experiences” (1993, p. 75). Furthermore, when planning lessons and assessment I believe students need to be intellectually challenged, as it is important that we are not only teaching students the knowledge to be learnt, but allowing them to demonstrate their thinking and understanding and also allowing for different responses (Lynch & Knight, 2010). I promote higher order thinking skills within my lessons using questioning techniques and planned activities as well as mind maps and graphic organisers to help show different understandings of the same topic and assist students to consider the issue being examined in several dimensions (Brady & Kennedy, 2012). Additionally, I also understand “technology has reorganised how we live, how we communicate and how we learn” (Siemens, 2005, p. 13). I believe as educators we are responsible for exploring and investigating different ways of incorporating ICT into the classroom to support and enhance student learning and help engage and target different learning styles. I see the interactive whiteboard as a constructive tool and opportunity for multimodal learning.

My knowledge and understanding of Vygotsky’s Theory of constructivism assists me to design learning experiences that promote social interaction and the active construction of knowledge (Ebbeck & Waniganayake, 2010). A constructivist approach to teaching supports students understanding and scaffolds the learning in order to give students confidence to explore new concepts. Using explicit direct instruction I am able to scaffold the learning experiences by first modelling, then engaging students in guided practice within a group before leading up to individual work and assessment (Hollingsworth & Ybarra, 2008). I acknowledge the importance of using a range of formal and informal modes of assessment and strongly believe authentic assessment tasks that are open-ended, tolerant of divergent thinking, presented in alternative modes, foster higher order thinking, promote collaboration and are ongoing and cumulative, showing the student’s growth over time (North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL)) benefit all students in achieving success. I consider feedback as an essential learning tool as it helps move learners forward and provides teachers with information that they can use to adjust instruction to meet learning needs (Leahy, Lyon, Thompson, & Wiliam, 2005). I believe continuous checking for understanding is the backbone to a successful learning experience as teachers can ‘continually verify that the students are learning what is being taught while it is being taught’ (Hollingsworth & Ybarra, 2008). My personal observations and teaching experiences have proven that when we consider all students learning styles, use a variety of teaching strategies, scaffold our lessons and continually provide feedback and support, students are engaged and outcomes are achieved.

Roles and Responsibilities

As teaching professionals we are responsible for justifying what we do and why. Every day as a teacher I will be responsible for using my professional judgement to inform decision-making. This will be based on my teaching philosophy, my professional knowledge and understanding and my accountability to professional codes and standards. I realise my professional responsibilities lie with the well-being of all children in my care. I understand that these children all belong to first a family and a community with many diverse ways of knowing, seeing, and living (Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments, 2009). For children to learn and thrive I must create an inclusive and equitable learning environment by making connections and building respectful partnerships with every child’s family and community.

I understand with diversity comes many different perspectives which can lead to dilemmas. Groundwater-Smith et. al. emphasises “different stakeholders in education have different rights and each impacts upon the other” (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, & Le Cornu, 2011, p. 12). A common ground for dilemmas in today’s age is the parent’s expectations for their child’s education. For example, a parent who does not know and understand the value of a play-based curriculum and believes their child needs to be sitting at a desk to learn. I acknowledge and respect the beliefs and values of others and believe in pedagogy of listening. As an educator we must keep an open mind and remember our position is advocating for the child. To do this we must think deeply about our professional work and challenge not only the practice, but also the theory that lies behind it (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, & Le Cornu, 2011). Moreover, we must be reflective practitioners constantly weighing up the consequences for our students, and ourselves when making decisions about what to do under different circumstances (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, & Le Cornu, 2011).

Lastly, I understand the critical importance of ongoing professional development. As a teacher it is imperative I am a life-long learner myself, keeping up to date with current and innovative theories and teaching strategies, having an open-mind and being prepared to try new ways and risk take. As Nimmo  emphasises “our growth as teachers, the ‘spirit’ we have available to us, is directly related to the risks we are prepared to take in our work” (2002, p. 75). I am always thirsty for new knowledge and understanding in order to enhance my teaching practices. My last PD was explicit teaching which I implemented into my lesson planning straight away and I believe has improved my lesson delivery and student engagement and outcomes. I value and partake in continuous critical reflection which I use to inform my planning and decision-making.  As well as Professional Development and critical reflection I find professional conversations and collegial sharing of ideas and resources an invaluable teaching tool.

As I now understand, teaching is not just a career but a passion. I am enthusiastic to begin my teaching profession and have a lot of energy and drive to get out there and make a difference. I have had some great teachers along the way supporting me in my learning and development and am excited that now I have the opportunity to do it for others. Children spend many of their childhood hours at school, and teachers are influential in shaping their futures. I believe every child is a unique, strong, and capable human being and has the right to an education, health, happiness and wellbeing. I will support my students in reaching their full potential to the best of my ability.

References

Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for the Council of Australian Governments. (2009). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. ACT, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia.

Brady, L., & Kennedy, K. (2012). Assessment and Reporting: Celebrating Student Achievement (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

Curriculum Exchange, Education Queensland. (2006). Play and inquiry-based learning - teaching and learning in the early phase. Queensland, Australia: Queensland Studies Authority.

Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2000). The Art of Awareness. St Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Ebbeck, M., & Waniganayake, M. (2010). Play in Early Childhood Education: Learning in diverse contexts. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Education Queensland. (2011, May). Teaching and learning: clever, skilled, creative. Retrieved August 22, 2012, from Department of Education and Training: https://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=49267

Fraser, S., & Gestwicki, C. (2000). Authentic Childhood: Exploring Reggio Emilia in the classroom. Canada: Delmar: Thomson Learning.

Galindo, C., & Sheldon, S. (2012). School and home connections and children's kindergarten achievement gains: The mediating role of family involvement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27 (1), 90-103.

Gandini, L. (1993). Fundamentals of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood. Young Children, 4-8.

Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2011). Teaching Challenges and Dilemmas (4th ed.). Victoria, Australia: Cengage Learning.

Holland, P. (2004). Picturing Childhood: The myth of the child in popular imagery. New York: I.B. Tauris.

Hollingsworth, J., & Ybarra, S. (2008). Explicit Direct Instruction: The Power of Well-Crafted, Well-Taught Lessons. Corwin Press.

James, A., & Prout, A. (1997). Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood: Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood. Philadelphia, USA: The Falmer Press.

Killen, R. (2009). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (5th ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Thompson.

Leahy, S., Lyon, C., Thompson, M., & Wiliam, D. (2005). Assessment Minute, Day by Day: In classrooms that use assessment to support learning, teachers continually adapt instruction to meet student needs. Educational Leadership, 19-22.

Lynch, D., & Knight, B. (2010). The Theory and Practice of Learning Management. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.

McInerney, D. M. (2006). Educational psychology: Constructing learning. Educational psychology: Constructing learning (4th ed.), pp. 348-373.

Nimmo, J. (2002). Nurturing the spirit to teach: commitment, community and emergent curriculum. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 27(2), 8-12.

North Central Regional Education Laboratory (NCREL). (n.d.). Incorporating Assessment Into the Learning Process. Retrieved from Retrieved August 2, 2009, from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED11405 Ensuring Student Success.

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved July 20, 2011, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Walker, K. (2007). Play Matters- Engaging Children in Learning: The Australian Developmental Curriculum, A play and project based philosophy (Early Years at Primary School Prep to Grade 2). Camberwell, Victoria: Acer Press.

Williams, L. (1994). Developmental appropriate practice and cultural values. In B. Mallory, & R. News, Diversity and Developmental Appropriate Practice: Challenges for Early Childhood Education. New York: Teachers' College Press.

Woodrow, C. (1997). Questioning representations of children and childhood. Every Child, 3(2), 17.

Woodrow, C. (1999). Revisiting images of the child in early childhood education: Reflections and considerations. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 24(4), 7-12.