Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
EDPB 600
Frame of Reference
My path to teaching has been a meandering one, with many stops along the way.
Some of my core beliefs have been in place for as long as I can remember, such as the belief
that there is inherent value in all living things and that all life is thus deserving of respect.
This parallels the first Earth Charter principle to, Respect Earth and life in all its diversity.
This same belief underlies my commitment to social justice and my ongoing efforts to amass
address inequities around such things as gender, race, class, sexual orientation, ability, etc.
(also TRB 1 and 2). Other beliefs lay dormant for much of my childhood, a fascination and a
draw that went unexplored until I had achieved a degree of agency and responsibility to
enable independent exploration. This includes my fascination and love for the outdoors,
the wilderness environment, the animal kingdom, self-propelled activity and my belief in the
value of experiential education. These core beliefs have led to a variety of experiences, both
personal and professional, and have supplemented my formal biology education with the
knowledge that I love to learn and that I love to facilitate others learning, growth and
development.
My own theoretical approach most closely aligns with the constructivist and critical
context, including the social, cultural and political contexts, and is both an individual and a
group process. I believe the purpose of education is to prepare students for life, to empower
them to successfully pursue education and work pursuits as they choose and are able, and
achieve this I believe students need to know how to think for themselves, to feel
comfortable sourcing information, asking questions, and drawing their own conclusions. I
also believe students need to have confidence in their abilities as socially and emotionally
skilled and aware individuals. Fortunately the new BC curriculum also identifies these as
core competencies and the new curriculum emphasizes integrated development in these
competencies throughout all the subject areas. To fully realize these competencies I believe
students need access not only to instruction and opportunity, but also to a physically and
The challenge is to construct such a safe and inclusive classroom in which all
students feel respected, that their ideas and contributions are valued, and which is
conducive to learning for the widest possible range of students. This process begins with the
emphasize respect, participation, and effort. My own actions need to continually support
and reinforce these guidelines such that the goals remain transparent and are actively
modelled, and that the students are both supported in developing these skills and also held
accountable for their own actions as appropriate. I employ specific strategies such as
questioning students at random (names drawn out of a cup) to ensure a space for all voices
and to encourage thinking, effort, and mistakes (recognition for starting the process, for
sharing thoughts, thanking for sharing mistakes - requires careful and thoughtful
facilitation). I also try to be aware of both my privilege and the underlying social justice
issues in order to proactively address such inequities in my teaching. This include ensuring
diverse representation in the media I use (women, people of color, the differently abled,
(using First Nations stories as another way of accessing biological knowledge, for example),
and acknowledging and discussing embedded stereotypes and assumptions when they
effective for learning to take place. This includes having organizational structures in place
such as bins for handing work in or for student collection of missed handouts. It also
establish clear, consistent expectations which are modelled and reinforced on an ongoing
basis. I practice early and non-intrusive interventions, like Barry Bennets bumps, when
necessary, and shift to a more restitution based response if further escalation is required.
This involves the student both in identifying the issue of concern and in creating the
solution, which is ultimately more of a team based response (what can I do to help you
achieve this?).
opinion, a successful teacher needs to be knowledgeable about the subject area(s) being
taught, about student growth and development, about different learning theories and
styles, and about a variety of instructional and assessment methodologies (TRB 5). Armed
with this knowledge the teacher can employ a variety of instructional and assessment
strategies to suit the diverse needs and abilities of their students. This includes presenting
information and learning opportunities to suit a variety of learning styles, including visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic learners, through such things as videos, diagrams, manipulatives,
comprehensive in nature as well to ensure the communication method is in support of, and
not a barrier to, effective demonstration of learning. Vocabulary manipulatives, for example,
can be used to test for comprehension through sorting and categorizing exercises, when
lack of writing ability or reduced fine motor skills may be a barrier to traditional, writing-
based, assessment. I also believe ongoing formative assessment will enhance learning for
the student by providing relevant, timely feedback for them and also by alerting the teacher
assessment can be both formal, as when students hand in assignments for feedback with
opportunities for revision prior to grading, or informal, as done with in class questioning and
checks for understanding. I recently had to revise and reteach a lesson on adaptation when
such questioning at the end of the lesson revealed the learning intentions had not been
students performance across a wide variety of domains including, for example, written
are much more likely to be successful when they have a clear vision of the end goal and are
able to see the path that will lead them to their target. This also allows a more personalized
approach to learning and development as not every student will travel the same path or
reach the same end point. This greater flexibility helps to ensure all students are
beginning to differentiate lessons and assignments to allow for a variety of skill and ability
level as well as for learning aptitudes and interests. For example, a recent exercise involved
a write-in-role to demonstrate understanding of the carbon cycle. Some students were able
to take the co-created rubric and begin working independently straight away while others
required greater support and scaffolding in order to create the framework for their write-in-
way to engage with the material and see its use and application. My desire as an educator is
not only to facilitate mastery of the curriculum, but also to support students emotional and
social growth and development. As such my classroom includes collaborative elements, with
students exchanging ideas and supporting one another in their work as when building
analogies for the immune system or working in partners in the biology lab, as well as
experienced the benefits of learning about students interests and passions and connecting
them to course curriculum, I will continue to do this in the future. I encourage my students
to approach me with ideas they might have for projects connected to the course and subject
matter at hand, as recently when one of my students approached me with a climate change
video they thought was interesting. Not only did I use it in my class, I also discovered a great
resource for ongoing use! I believe such internally motivated, student driven ideas and
Finally, I recognize my classroom does not exist in isolation. The student, the
teacher, and the learning environment are all embedded in and part of a greater community
involving parents, guardians, family and the community. The teacher needs to work with
both the student and the surrounding community to best support student success and
building positive relationships with my students I also need to connect with their support
networks. Online platforms such as Fresh Grade, Jupiter Ed or Google Classrooms can
supplement email, phone, and face-to-face meetings, providing parents and guardians with
regular, pro-active information about their child as well as more communication options. I
have participated in three parent-teacher evenings so far and have experienced first hand
the benefits of a collaborative parent-teacher relationship in supporting student growth and
success. My last practicum also provided the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of
garden, in the process fostering connections both within the school and between the school
Teachers also need to have their own support structures in place, especially positive
and supportive networks with colleagues and administrators to share insights, resources,
and techniques, to support one another when challenges arise, and for collaborating around
student needs, on projects, or in planning. I have found formal and informal discussions,
honoring my commitments and obligations, clear and honest communication about my own
needs and challenges, respectful requests for help or sharing, and a willingness to provide
my own attention and assistance when requested to be useful in creating this environment
for myself. This, combined with a reflective practice, an open mind, and a willingness to
embrace new ways of doing things should set me, and my students, up for ongoing success.