Personal Philosophy of Teaching


The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians states that “Australian schooling promotes equity and excellence” and that “All young Australians become: successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens”.[1]

Teaching, for me, goes beyond being a profession, skill, or job role; teaching is a fundamental responsibility, which requires an educator to feel passionately and strive towards creating a society in which all children have self-efficacy, motivation to learn, and have their rights to an education met with the best possible outcome. My view of education is that it is for everyone, and that it should be equitable and non-discriminative. Differentiation is a core pillar in my teaching philosophy, as a tool to make learning accessible to all.

 
Effective teaching crosses many theoretical domains for the holistic development of the child. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development allows for children to optimise their potential for success. In Educational Psychology for Teaching and Learning, Kerri-Lee Krause suggests the role of the teacher is “to assist children to develop understandings and to regulate their own learning, rather than to tell or demonstrate to them what they are required to know”.[2] It is this type of cognitive development that I believe is essential. I belong to the school of thought that all understanding is constructed by the learner, who plays an active role in making meaning of his or her own knowledge. At the heart of constructivism, ”Learning involves an active process in which learners construct meaning by linking new ideas with their existing knowledge"[3].

 
We must consider the whole of the child, their wellbeing, their needs, and their role within society, rather than simply as a recipient of information. Maslow suggests that “human activity is motivated by an urge to satisfy a set of basic needs and growth needs”[4]. It is my belief that this plays the most pivotal role in considering the nature of student learning and development. It is critical for educators to adapt their teaching practice to ensure the educational, social, emotional, spiritual and physical needs of the child is being met. I intend to create a student-centred classroom environment that values activity and play-based learning, provides opportunities for inquiry, and has an overarching climate of positivity and values-based approaches. I also believe that in context of 21st century learning, ICTs can be used to transform learning experiences and provide students with extensive new ways of constructing knowledge. 

 

One of my fundamental views of education is the importance of positive relationships. I believe students thrive in an environment that fosters friendships and working relationships between teacher, students, their families and the broader community. Ultimately teachers must promote a psychology for success, and to engage all students in holistic and authentic learning opportunities that cater to the diverse needs of all. I hope to inspire students and provide them with the necessary tools to seek social justice and to be successful, informed citizens who are intrinsically motivated to create new understandings.

References 

[1] Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, ‘Melbourne declaration on educational goals for young Australians’, 2008, viewed 17 July 2015, ...Melbourne_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians_-_NPST_-_Submission_2010.pdf
[2] K. Krause, S. Bochner, S. Duchesne, & A McMaugh, Educational Psychology for Learning and Teaching, Cengage Learning Australia, Melbourne, 2010, p. 86.
[3] S. Naylor, & B. Keogh, ‘Constructivism in classroom: Theory into practice’, Journal of Science Teacher Education, 10, 1999, pp. 93.
[4] Krause et. al., p. 230