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I value creativity, so I will teach my students how to open up different parts of their brain and mind. I will teach them to think outside the box, and give me work that truly reflects their own thinking- not work that they think will me.
I value hard work, a quality my mother taught me, so I won’t be wishing my students good luck- I’ll be teaching them to persevere, and encourage and support them the whole way through.
I believe that learning should be fun! So I will create engaging activities, utilising different learning styles and show my students a meaningful learning experience.
I believe in being a facilitator, so I will ask thought provoking questions of my students and provide a framework for answering.
I’ve experienced what it’s like to not be heard, so I will ensure my class has an open platform on which they can express themselves freely, encourage each other and learn from one another.
I’ve experienced inspiring educators, and for my students, that’s exactly who I aim to be.
My approaches to literacy in the classroom have not only stemmed from my experience in teaching, but through my own learning at university. I believe that what I do in the classroom, what I believe about teaching and learning, and how I act and react towards students stems from my beliefs and values, which are as follows. I believe in a social constructivist approach to learning. Where “the process of sharing individual perspectives results in learners’ constructing understanding together that wouldn’t be possible alone” (Gauvain, 2001; Greeno et al., 2006; Eggen & Kauchak, 2007). This approach recognises the teacher as ‘facilitator’ who guides learners. It allows all the traditional elements of teaching: organise/implement learning activities, motivate students, assess learning etc. The answers however, focus on facilitating students constructions of understanding through social interaction.