"Tweet" by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Professional Knowledge

One of my fundamental beliefs about teaching is that 'we teach who we are' (Howard, 2003). This being the case, I am interested not just in growing my subject knowledge and teaching strategies, I am invested in becoming a certain kind of person.

This person asks: 'Who is this child, and how can I nurture his or her gifts?' (Palmer, 2003).

This person sees the potential for growth within each student and encourages 'growth mindsets' (Haimovitz & Dweck, 2017).

This teacher understands the importance of content mastery and has a passion for their subject areas.

This teacher understands that effective education is brought about in part through trusting relationships and that trust is built through myriad daily actions (Tomlinson, 2008).

This is the kind of teacher and person I am.

"Art Nouveau Floral Pattern" by Sara Dunn is licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0

"Nine tenths of education is encouragement"

- Anatole France

Professional Practice

True encouragement is not praise. Encouragement amours us to face challenges with determination and resilience. In a world of rapid technological and social change, students need to be problem solvers and creative thinkers; they need to be adaptable, resilient, life-long learners (Lamb et al, 2017).

My classroom fosters physical and mental well-being through flexible seating, natural light, fresh air, classroom routines and the reinforcement of respectful boundaries (Shindler, 2010).

The physical and psychological needs of children for safety, calm, full bellies, positive social engagement and love come before their educational needs (Maslow, 1943). My classroom is a place where students know they are cared for.

I want all my students to develop a strong sense of self-efficacy. I prepare my students to be ethical and conscientious citizens who feel they can make a difference in the world.

Walk into my classroom on any given day and you will likely see my students engaging in Socratic dialogue, project- or problem-based learning, creative, body-based learning and authentic learning tasks. These pedagogies develop higher order thinking skills and social capability, and empower students to take control of their own learning (Shindler, 2010).

My classroom is a place where there are high expectations for behaviour and intellectual effort. My learning tasks are predominantly formative, scaffolded and differentiated, with student choice being at the forefront of my task design. Every student is encouraged to extend themselves through enrichment opportunities, and every student receives targeted and timely feedback.

For a digital generation, learning involves exploring, using and mastering digital media. My classroom integrates digital media wherever possible, with an emphasis on safe and ethical engagement with digital technologies.

Professional Engagement

A lecturer of mine once observed that 'Learning makes us feel like idiots'. The dedicated teacher is willing to feel like an idiot regularly for the sake of developing their practice.

Being a lifelong learner and an effective teacher means not simply tallying up PD hours but researching, experimenting, reflecting, collaborating with colleagues, accepting criticism, and actively seeking opportunities to learn.

It means immersing oneself in a community of colleagues, parents and students and taking up the mantle of being a role model within that community.

"Courtesy of Josh McDaniel" by Edutopia is licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0

By seeking and blundering we learn

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Eportfolio

References

Haimovitz, K., & Dweck, C. (2017). The Origins of Children's Growth and Fixed Mindsets: New Research and a New Proposal. Child Development, 88(6), 1849-1859.

Howard, T. C. (2003). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Ingredients for critical teacher reflection. Theory into practice, 42(3), 195-202.

Lamb, S., Maire, Q. and Doecke, E. (2017). Key Skills for the 21st Century: an evidence-based review. Centre for International Research on Education Systems. Retrieved from: https://education.nsw.gov.au/our-priorities/innovate-for-the-future/education-for-a-changing-world/resource-library/research-report/future-frontiers-analytical-report-key-skills-for-the-21st-century/Key-Skills-for-the-21st-Century-Analytical-Report.pdf

Maslow, A. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-396.

Palmer, P. (2003). Teaching with Heart and Soul: Reflections on Spirituality in Teacher Education. Journal of Teacher Education, 54(5), 376-385.

Shindler, J. (2010). Transformative Classroom Management : Positive Strategies to Engage All Students and Promote a Psychology of Success (Vol. 33). Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2008). The Goals of Differentiation. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 26-30.