Teaching+Philosophy



I believe that the relationships I build with children are important for their academic and social development, and should derive from a genuine interest in the child. This creates an environment in which the child feels respected and important; acknowledging them as an individual within the group (McGee and Fraser, 2008). I believe that every child is unique; with something special to offer and that it is my job to facilitate an environment where they can discover their abilities and utilise them in a way that is empowering to them.

I believe that the classroom environment is integral to setting the foundation for a child’s learning (Marsh, 2007) and that all children should have the same opportunity to be a part of a learning environment that is safe, rewarding and appropriate to their developmental needs as outlined in Erikson’s and Piaget’s theories of development (Berk, 2004). I also believe it is my job to be aware of diversity in the classroom and to celebrate the different ways in which each child views the world, based on Nietos’ theory of inclusive education (Nieto, 2002).

Learning is a life long journey on which the students and myself embark on together. It is because of this that I see it as my job to inspire them through content and pedagogy that is specific to their needs and interests (Gibbs, 2006). It is also important to me that children learn the skills to be independent learners by creating a future focussed environment that utilises the technological resources available to them; thus enabling them to be active members of society both nationally and internationally (Ministry of Education, 2007).

I believe it is important for a teacher to be collegial and to build relationships with family/whanau where they see me as open, honest and accessible so that I am able to effectively cater to the needs of my classroom and continue to develop professionally. Assessment and reflection is crucial to the cycle of teaching as inquiry (Ministry of Education, 2007); looking at how I can improve my teaching strategies and incorporating the students ‘voices’ as evidence. I use reflection as a way to build and refine my pedagogy as an educator and see professional development as the only way to remain being an effective teacher (Gibbs, 2006).

__ Reference List: __

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ Berk, L. (2004). Development through the lifespan. Boston, United States of America: Pearson Education.

Gibbs, C. (2006). To be a teacher: Journeys towards authenticity. Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson Education.

Marsh, C. (2008). Becoming a Teacher: Knowledge, Skills and Issues. New South Wales, Australia: Pearson Education.

McGee, C., & Fraser, D. (2008). The Professional Practice of Teaching. New Zealand: Albany: Cengage Learning.

Ministry of Education. (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum: For English- medium teaching and learning in years 1-13. Wellington, New Zealand: Learning Media Limited.

Nieto, S. (2002). Language, Culture and Teaching: critical perspectives for a new century. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associations.