PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION
“Great things happen to those who don't stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
STUDENT CENTERED
When everything we do - instructional strategies, curriculum planning, schedules or environment design - centers around students’ life experiences, needs, abilities and interests- we nurture learners who internalize the belief that everyone learns differently and there are many paths to success. Differentiating instruction based on student voice gives each learner confidence to believe in the worth of their own agency which, in turn, naturally gives space for diverse perspectives, empathy and environments where we can learn from one another.
A student’s emotional well-being is the backbone to their ability to learn. To nurture a sense of belonging in a community of diverse learners, educators must invest time into getting to know what it is that makes all learners feel a sense of belonging. As educators, we are on a constant journey of inquiry about our students - how they think and learn, their priorities, their families and backgrounds, their individuality. When we use what we learn about our students to shape our interactions with them and to design our learning spaces, our learning environment becomes one where everyone feels like they are truly part of the community.
INCLUSIVE
ACTIVE LEARNING
Designing our learning environment so that students are active participants in their own learning encourages inclusivity, enthusiasm, motivation and collaboration. With the teacher as a facilitator and guide, when students learn concepts by exploration, questioning and hands on experiences, they become self-reflective, critical thinkers who are willing to take risks. Providing different opportunities for students to access information also helps learners understand themselves better and enables them to make their own choices about how best to make sense of new concepts in the world around them.
Having the ability to face the unknown with a sense of wonder, curiosity and questioning - rather than fear - allows a learner to be comfortable with saying “I don’t know yet but I can find out!” When students understand that challenges are essential to growth and that failure is an integral part of that process, they build self-confidence and perseverance. Modelling and integrating growth mindset in the way we as educators speak, teach and live helps learners to trust in their own abilities to grow and learn.
GROWTH MINDSET
MAPPING THE LEARNING JOURNEY
Just as every student learns differently, they also have different ways of showing their understanding. It is important to understand where students are in their learning through regular formative and summative assessments. As with differentiated, choice based instruction, students benefit from having choices in how they demonstrate their learning. This requires educators to be innovative when considering ways to assess and provide feedback to students so they can use all their learning experiences as opportunities to grow their thinking and knowledge.
We are preparing learners to tackle challenges and problems that we don’t even know about yet. Integrating critical thinking and problem-solving opportunities in our instruction, builds their capacity to ask good questions and persevere in solving them. The ability to find different paths to understanding the unknown is an essential part of learning.