Statement of Educational Beliefs and Practices

Several years ago, Andrew Nikiforuk listed the most important characteristics of a successful classroom teacher. Below are my responses to these statements as they pertain to my personal beliefs and reflect my performance with students and faculty.

 

“Good teachers plan ahead and are well-organized.”

Over twenty 25 years of teaching and edtech leadership have reinforced organizational skills that work well for me.  Posting  lesson summaries, daily tasks and  important dates prior to scheduled lessons allows the students, parents and myself to remain on track within the curriculum.  Collecting student biography information lets me tailor parts of the curriculum to student interests. Creating screencasts of difficult tasks lets students and teachers repeat and practice long after the lesson is over.

 

“They gear their lessons to take their students systematically from the known to the unknown.” 

Units begin by exploring, through various methods, what students already know.  This means more time can be spent on the less well-understood concepts in preparation for summative performance assessments–usually projects.

 

“They respect and embrace the subject being taught with enthusiasm.” 

I have always believed that the best preparation I can do as a teacher is to get a good night’s sleep.  This allows me to arrive at school ready to interact with students as enthusiastically as possible.  As I teach more, I learn more.  Computers and design continue to overwhelm me with complexity and beauty and my passion for technology in general is something I think my students take away from their time in my class. I take professional development seriously, committing weeks during the summer months, as well as on-line tutorials during the evenings to developing skills and staying current in a rapidly evolving field. 

 

“They expect all their students to do well.” 

Students would probably say my expectations are too high, but I would have to disagree.  Students continue to contact me years after they have graduated to tease me about how high my expectations were and how much they appreciated it. If having high standards for all students is not respected, I don't see how schooling can move forward.

 

“They run disciplined classrooms by methodically instilling in their students the habits and responsibilities of civility, curiosity, and dignity.” 

While my classroom environment in usually quite casual, every student that enters my room is treated with respect, as a learner and individual.  During questioning and discussions I encourage the students to address each other by name as I do.  This simple technique gives my classroom a comfort level they all seem to appreciate.  Questions that cannot be answered are posted for further thought and students who endeavor to find the answers to these unanswered questions are rewarded intrinsically.

 

“They emphasize clarity of thought, content, and connections.” 

Although not a usual part of of the formal curricula, I spend several lessons at the beginning of the year reviewing skills in molding metaphors, dissecting definitions and forming good questions.  I believe these skills are central to student progress in all areas of study.   Through open-ended assignments students are encouraged to make connections between a variety of different subject areas.  For example, assignments where students are asked to select pieces of work to mount on an inspiration wall or create a magazine article based on a period in the past.

 

“They know that the more time students spend on math or reading, the better they will be at those skills.” 

Homework that my students are assigned, while often offbeat rather than grueling, emphasizes skills learned in class and applies them to different situations. They may have to create a visual dictionary using sticky notes or mark-up a PDF file. Ten thousand hours in the often quoted length of time to become an expertand anyting–I want to set students on beginning down that road.

 

“They monitor and pace assignments, giving frequent feedback.” 

One system I developed had students choose several assignments out of a long list and set dates by which each would be completed.  During the in-class work periods students brought their work to me and we sat one-on-one and graded the assignments together.  They loved the choice and the immediate feedback and I got to hear about their reasoning from them and quiz them on it. While this is a more time intensive method that won't always work with larger classes, the feedback I get reinforces its value to student learning.

 

“They encourage rather than praise and they minimize criticism.” 

Praise, if not genuine, is hollow and students see through that too easily.  Every piece of work handed in has something that was done well and something that requires further work.  I try to encourage students to acknowledge what they did well and to repair the others.

 

“They know that a well-designed lesson will reach all students regardless of class, race, ability, or learning style.” 

After teaching for so many years in classrooms where the racial mix often approached the heterogeneity of a bowl of granola and the span of marks went from scholarship to rock bottom, you get to a place where you finally find the lessons and teaching style that works with 90% of the students 90% of the time.   Variety is the key to making all students learn and feel included and valued in the class.

 

“They know that, in the end, good instruction overcomes all obstacles.” 

This seems abundantly clear. Clarity of expression and organization of ideas is at the heart of every lesson. Giving the students a guide at the beginning of the course, unit and class and then pointing them in the right direction to get to their destination is the model I follow in every aspect of my teaching. 

 

In general I believe that being an active learner is a key to success as a teacher. This is what brought me overseas in the first place, because living overseas is about learning all the time. If I am learning my students will be too–I believe and practice that modelling is the most effective form of teaching.

 

In my view, informal learning, that which happens outside the classroom, rarely gets the recognition it deserves for its effectiveness. Too often we squander opportunites to allow learning to be going on "off-hours". This is why I throw so much effort into searching for and developing Interim Semester programs–5 unique programs during my time at SAS.

 

Becoming linked with other teachers has been the most valuable learning experience for my students and me. Modern communications make us all global citizens with new rights and responsibilies never experienced in the generations before. It is challenging, rewarding and worthwile.