For me, being a secondary teacher is a privileged position as I am a role model, provider and supporter of students’ intellectual, personal and social development. I believe adolescent students need to be educated and supported in a positive learning environment and I see a key role of the teacher as a motivator and facilitator of a student’s learning journey. I have realised my own value in education and hope to engage in a career that will enable me to positively impact on youth and help them achieve their positive potential, grounded on flexible and achievable personal goals.
I view learning as a social process, where students learn from their own unique context, perspectives and experiences (Churchill et al., 2013). Thus, it is a teacher’s responsibility to know their students and demonstrate a significant appreciation of the learner’s point of view and past experiences when implementing their pedagogical practice. I will plan and implement tactical teaching strategies that support student interests and engage them with content they perceive as meaningful and can personally connect with. I will link “big picture” ideas and content to students’ environments, by creating projects that are authentic with a real impact on their world and with a real audience, to increase their sense of purpose and motivation with their learning. I also have a strong interest and knowledge of using ICT as a teaching and learning strategy. Personal learning devices can enrich a student's classroom experience and connect learning with life outside the classroom. Making learning stimulating, fun and challenging however, achievable is paramount to effective science teaching and improving learning outcomes.
I hope to create a positive, inclusive classroom where students feel they belong and it is safe. In practice, this will involve fostering positive, strong relationships with my students and bringing in diverse cultural views on scientific concepts, creating open discussion and allowing students to share their experiences. This is especially important in a science classroom as responding to science as a human endeavor, hypothesising and challenging ideas is a key part of the scientific process and important for developing inquiry and critical thinking skills.
As a teacher, I need to be responsive to the diverse needs of my students, such as ethnicity, academic, mental health, disabilities, and ESL status. I will need to consider syllabus requirements and endeavor to differentiate the content, pedagogy and outcomes for the range of students in my classroom (Hyde et al., 2010). It is my responsibility to find ways to engage all learners, incorporate the lived culture of students and create a strong sense of belonging in the classroom.
I view learning as a collaborative process where interactions between students, teachers and parents creates a shared responsibility for learning. This involves open and effective communication between all parties and I would aim to involve parents as much as possible to improve learning outcomes for students.
Central to quality teaching is effective classroom management (McDonald, 2010). I believe my role is to set routines and high expectations for all students. I will focus on students’ strengths, provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate responsibility and the ability to reach and maintain my high expectations. I aim to positively reinforce students for their efforts and application to learning. This will build students’ confidence and help them engage/achieve their best (Brady & Scully, 2005). Positive interventions for misbehaviour will aim to re-engage the learner and bring them back into the learning environment as soon as possible.
Being passionate and articulate will enable me to become an effective and quality science teacher. Teaching the whole person and supporting social and emotional development is critical for teenagers and their search for identity. Equipping students with the skills to approach new learning situations in a positive, effective manner is part of the role of preparing them for lifelong learning. I hope to be professional in my practice, engage in life long learning myself and develop pedagogical practices that are authentic, lived and encapsulate what it means to be a teacher for me.
References:
Brady, L & Scully, A. (2005). Engagement Inclusive Classroom Management. NSW, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.
Churchill, R., Ferguson, P., Godinho, S., Johnson, N.F., Keddie, A., Letts, W., … Vick, M. (2013). Teaching making a difference (2nd ed.). Queensland, AU: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.
McDonald, T. (2010). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., Conway, R. (2010). Diversity and Inclusion in Australian Schools. Australia: Oxford University Press
I view learning as a social process, where students learn from their own unique context, perspectives and experiences (Churchill et al., 2013). Thus, it is a teacher’s responsibility to know their students and demonstrate a significant appreciation of the learner’s point of view and past experiences when implementing their pedagogical practice. I will plan and implement tactical teaching strategies that support student interests and engage them with content they perceive as meaningful and can personally connect with. I will link “big picture” ideas and content to students’ environments, by creating projects that are authentic with a real impact on their world and with a real audience, to increase their sense of purpose and motivation with their learning. I also have a strong interest and knowledge of using ICT as a teaching and learning strategy. Personal learning devices can enrich a student's classroom experience and connect learning with life outside the classroom. Making learning stimulating, fun and challenging however, achievable is paramount to effective science teaching and improving learning outcomes.
I hope to create a positive, inclusive classroom where students feel they belong and it is safe. In practice, this will involve fostering positive, strong relationships with my students and bringing in diverse cultural views on scientific concepts, creating open discussion and allowing students to share their experiences. This is especially important in a science classroom as responding to science as a human endeavor, hypothesising and challenging ideas is a key part of the scientific process and important for developing inquiry and critical thinking skills.
As a teacher, I need to be responsive to the diverse needs of my students, such as ethnicity, academic, mental health, disabilities, and ESL status. I will need to consider syllabus requirements and endeavor to differentiate the content, pedagogy and outcomes for the range of students in my classroom (Hyde et al., 2010). It is my responsibility to find ways to engage all learners, incorporate the lived culture of students and create a strong sense of belonging in the classroom.
I view learning as a collaborative process where interactions between students, teachers and parents creates a shared responsibility for learning. This involves open and effective communication between all parties and I would aim to involve parents as much as possible to improve learning outcomes for students.
Central to quality teaching is effective classroom management (McDonald, 2010). I believe my role is to set routines and high expectations for all students. I will focus on students’ strengths, provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate responsibility and the ability to reach and maintain my high expectations. I aim to positively reinforce students for their efforts and application to learning. This will build students’ confidence and help them engage/achieve their best (Brady & Scully, 2005). Positive interventions for misbehaviour will aim to re-engage the learner and bring them back into the learning environment as soon as possible.
Being passionate and articulate will enable me to become an effective and quality science teacher. Teaching the whole person and supporting social and emotional development is critical for teenagers and their search for identity. Equipping students with the skills to approach new learning situations in a positive, effective manner is part of the role of preparing them for lifelong learning. I hope to be professional in my practice, engage in life long learning myself and develop pedagogical practices that are authentic, lived and encapsulate what it means to be a teacher for me.
References:
Brady, L & Scully, A. (2005). Engagement Inclusive Classroom Management. NSW, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.
Churchill, R., Ferguson, P., Godinho, S., Johnson, N.F., Keddie, A., Letts, W., … Vick, M. (2013). Teaching making a difference (2nd ed.). Queensland, AU: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.
McDonald, T. (2010). Classroom management: Engaging students in learning. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., Conway, R. (2010). Diversity and Inclusion in Australian Schools. Australia: Oxford University Press