Philosophy of Education

My primary goal as an educator is to instill a growth mindset in all of my students and inspire them to
become life-long learners by fostering a positive, supportive and safe learning environment, where students
feel valued, respected and comfortable taking risks. Consistent with BC's Education Plan (2015), I believe that
education should be personalized and provide students with engaging learning opportunities that encourage
them to pursue their interests and passions, while maintaining a strong focus on the foundational skills of
reading, writing and numeracy . I understand that not all students learn successfully at the same rate, in the
same learning environment, and in the same ways (BC's New Curriculum, 2015) and will support my students
in their learning journey by differentiating instruction and assessment to meet the individual needs of my
students. I value the The 7 Principles of Learning outlined by the OECD (2010) and believe that my personal
teaching philosophy reflects each of these principles.
I believe that classroom management is essential in creating a safe classroom environment and
preparing students for learning. Through my experience teaching in France, I learned that a teacher is only as
effective as his or her classroom management strategies. Learning simply cannot take place without effective
classroom management. As a beginning teacher in France, I quickly learned that if I wanted to be an effective
teacher and earn the respect of my students, I needed to set clear expectations for classroom routines,
protocols and behaviours and consistently uphold these standards. More importantly, I learned that involving
students in the creation of these protocols and expectations makes it more meaningful for students, provides
them with ownership over their learning and holds them accountable for their own actions.
Another important aspect of classroom management that I learned while teaching in France is that no
two classrooms are the same. As a substitute teacher, I had the opportunity to teach in several different school
and classroom environments. I noticed that strategies that worked for one classroom did not necessarily work
in others. As a result, I was constantly adapting my classroom management strategies to accommodate the
needs of the individuals in each classroom. As a future teacher in BC, my classroom management strategies

will not only reflect my personal management style, but also the needs of the students in my class. Spending
time at the beginning of the school year on classroom management is important to me as it contributes in
creating a positive classroom culture and sets the tone for the rest of the year.
I believe that all members in the learning community play an integral role in a child's education and will
therefore build meaningful relationships with students, parents, and the community. Fostering an environment
that supports the social and emotional well-being of students has important implications for motivation,
learning and overall achievement. As a result, building positive student-teacher and student-student
relationships is a primary concern of mine. I will take the time to get to know each of my students by taking an
active interest in their lives and by sharing aspects of my own life with them. I will celebrate individual and
cultural differences and model respect and support for each individual. My classroom will be a place where all
members collaborate, share ideas, construct meaning together, support and respect one another. In addition, I
will show my students that I value their feelings, interests and concerns, by adopting a power with approach
to teaching and empathizing with them (Knight, 2013, pg. 269). One way I will achieve this is by checking in
with my students regularly and asking for their feedback on lessons. In my first practicum, I asked students for
feedback on a basketball lesson that I had taught. My students provided insight into what they liked, how the
lesson made them feel and what I could do to improve the lesson for next time. I valued their feedback and
incorporated their suggestions in the following lesson, asking for student volunteers to teach certain activities.
I believe that teaching and learning are interconnected and that both students and teachers are constantly
alternating between the roles of learner and teacher. I want my students to feel valued and know that we are
on this learning journey together.
Consistent and open communication with parents is also essential for the academic, social and
emotional success of each student. As a teacher in Korea, I corresponded regularly with students and parents
through monthly reports, providing feedback on each child's strengths as well as areas needing further
development. I provided clear goals for how students could improve and thanked parents for their ongoing
support at home. Additional space was also provided for parents to comment or ask questions. On several

occasions, I welcomed parents into the classroom to observe the learning that was taking place and celebrate
their child's progress. I believe that it is important to include parents in their child's learning and let them know
that they are valued and respected. It is my hope that I will develop meaningful relationships with the parents
in my future classroom and collaborate with them to support and guide each child in their learning. Regular
collaboration with teachers and other supports in the community is also important. I will reach out to all
supports available to assist students and keep communication open between all members in the learning
community.
I strongly believe that students are more engaged in learning when they have genuine connections to
the topics being explored. Children are naturally curious and love to learn an effective teacher will fuel this
curiosity by creating a personalized learning environment, centered on the needs and interests of the students.
In accordance with BC's Redesigned Curriculum (2015), I will strive to foster an inquiry based classroom,
creating a culture where students are encouraged to ask questions and explore their ideas. Having an
opportunity to teach an inquiry based learning class in South Korea enabled me to witness first hand how
meaningful connections can transform learning and increase student engagement. I believe that crosscurricular connections also play a central role in creating meaningful learning environments by providing
students with a more holistic view of the world. In my teaching practice, I will take a cross-disciplinary
approach to teaching and create authentic learning opportunities that enable students to make connections
between subjects, extend their thinking beyond the classroom and ultimately deepen their understanding.
Through a gradual release of responsibility, it is my hope to equips students with the tools necessary to think
critically, analyze, and make decisions.
Differentiated instruction will be central to my teaching practice. I recognize that all students start
school with varying skills, abilities and learning styles and it is my responsibility as a teacher to meet the
individual needs of each student. All children, no matter what their abilities, are capable of learning and
showing personal progress; and all children are deserving of quality instruction and assessment to help guide
them in their journeys. I will use formative assessment practices to inform my teaching and tailor my

instruction to accommodate the learning needs of my students. I view assessment as an ongoing practice and
will provide consistent, descriptive feedback to students on what their strengths are and provide clear goals on
how they can improve. I agree that in order for assessment to be effective it must enhance learning and
provide a clear learning goal that a student can work toward (WNCP, 2006). I will promote growth in all of my
students by praising the learning process (efforts, strategies and improvement) and encouraging students to do
their personal bests by focusing on the individual progress that each student makes. By targeting assessment to
the needs of each learner and providing feedback that is just above their level of proficiency (Schimmer, 2016), I
will challenge each student appropriately. To further facilitate learning and growth, I understand the
importance of involving students in the assessment process and agree that when students feel ownership and
have choice in their learning, they are more likely to invest time and energy in it. (WNCP, 2006). By providing
opportunities for students to co-create assessment criteria and engage in self and peer evaluations, students
will not only feel valued, but they will take more responsibility for their learning, engage in reflective processes
and develop critical thinking skills. Recognizing that children learn in different ways, I will provide choice for
students to communicate their understanding in their own way by offering a variety of assessment tools.
My goal as an educator is to foster a growth mindset classroom and inspire children to become life-long
learners. Through establishing a sense of community in the classroom, I hope to instill the value of respect and
acceptance in all of my students. I aim to involve students, parents and members of the learning community in
every step of the learning process and build on the individual strengths of each student, giving them a sense of
self-worth and confidence. Through positive interactions with students and open communication with all
members in the learning community, I hope to guide each student in achieving academic, social and emotional
success that will carry them though their academic careers, the work force and the rest of their lives.

References
BC Ministry of Education. (2015). BC's Education Plan: Focus on Learning. http://www.bcedplan.ca/
BC Ministry of Education. (2015). BC 's New Curriculum: Building Student Success. BC Ministry of Education
https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/
Groff, J. The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice. OECD Publications, 2010. Dumont, H.,
Instance, D., Benavides, F. (eds.)
Knight, J. (2013). High-Impact Instruction: A Framework For Great Teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, A Sage
Company.
Schimmer, T. (2016). Five Questions About Feedback. Retrieved from:
http://allthingsassessment.info/2016/01/11/five-questions-about-feedback/

Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education. (2006). Rethinking Classroom
Assessment With Purpose in Mind: Assessment For Learning, Assessment As Learning, Assessment Of
Learning. Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth Cataloging in Publication Data. Retrieved from:
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/assess/wncp/full_doc.pdf