COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS AND STUDENTS

LEARNING

My

philosophy of teaching is largely a

reflection of my philosophy of living. I
believe that we are all both teachers and
learners in everyday life. I encourage my
students to develop a lifelong commitment
of personal growth through their own
awareness and to see and be inspired by
the beauty that is both within and around
them. I demonstrate my teaching
commitment through a variety of activities
and behaviors, both in and outside of the
classroom. I do my best to be at the cutting edge of recent
scholarship in order to inspire students with new aspects of
inquiry. I also make a great effort to improve my teaching by
seeking feedback from students and peers, attending teaching
workshops, and studying and experimenting with new methods
and approaches.

My own learning experiences allowed me to develop a nascent

interest in the world that surrounds me. The variety of interests
and academic disciplines that my parents exposed me to while
growing up in a multicultural society influenced me deeply, and I
believe having a wide range of ideas fosters critical thinking and
is essential for making more informed judgments. Hence, my goal
is to encourage students to explore a wide variety of topics, be it
fine arts, politics, history, the sciences, languages, psychology,
religions, and/or literatures from different countries and cultures.
Such topics can be incorporated in a number of creative ways,
either as part of the curriculum or as extra activities.

The success I experienced working with children in various

schools and daycares has motivated me to enhance my teaching
techniques. Integrating technology, for instance, across the
curriculum deepened and enhanced my
students learning process. As an adult
and young children facilitator, I believe
that educating individuals is preparing
them for life and providing them with
ongoing opportunities for learning. When
students are in action they develop
initiative, curiosity, resourcefulness, and
self-confidence. It is worth mentioning
that, regardless of the variety of the
learnings settings each one contributes
to the students social, emotional, cognitive, and physical
development.

My interest in education stems from my experience growing up in

an environment where graduate degrees are highly valued
indicators of personal achievement. This environment provided
me with an underlying interest in education and the way it helps
shape individuals' lives. Consequently, my approach to pedagogy
is to make students realize that what they learn will determine
who they are and how others will see them. I strive to create
activities that will allow them to discover the importance of
knowing more and encourage them to develop inquiring minds.
When I first began teaching, I modeled my teaching style after the
pedagogical practices of those educatorsmy own professors and
teacherswhom I admired most. Over the years, I have honed my
teaching skills through professional development and direct,
hands-on experience; most notably, I have learned from my
students themselves ways to improve my teaching. I consider
myself a lifelong learner and continue to look for and develop
innovative methods to reach my students and to provide insight

into a range of disciplines, including math, geometry, language,

botany, and zoology, as well as history and geography.
Through the Masters of Education and Teaching programs, I
developed a pedagogy that is underpinned by five dimensions in
learning: confidence and independence; knowledge and
understanding; skills and strategies; the ability to use prior and
emerging experience in new situations; reflectiveness and the
ability to think deeply and critically. I will show my students the
opportunities and benefits of their education and the value of
what they learned, even beyond the walls of the classroom. I am
also a member of the Canadian Association of Montessori
Teachers, College of Early Childhood Educators, and TESL Ontario.
I strive to attend all the related conference and workshops. I
intend to continue my practice of lifelong learning in order to
better understand our world and to prepare my students to
experience fuller, more meaningful lives.

I thank you again for reading my portfolio, if you need

further information, please do not hastate to call me @
905-6360292 or e-mail @ sabah_hoosein@hotmail.com.