One humid, sweltering August morning before I finished my undergraduate degree, a fellow bibliophile lent me a book that she thought I would love: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The novel came strongly recommended by friends and family. As an English literature major, I was assured that this would be my perfect summer read. It’s a New York Times bestseller! Winner of the Pulitzer Prize! It’s post-modern, post-colonial, and teeming to the brink with magic realism. This book should have been the perfect fit for me.
I dragged myself through 20 pages of the book, and simply could not keep going. I put the book down, never read another page, and picked up a book I love.
Often in life, students will be living out a certain narrative and going down a certain path that friends, family, or educators push for. This narrative may be the perfect one for another person to live. But when the story a person is living is no longer a source of joy, and no longer aligns with their values and identity, it is perfectly acceptable to put that story down and pick up another one. If necessary, this is something that can be done again, and again, and again.
After all, life is far too brief and far too wondrous for a young person to experience a life, an education, or a story that may be a perfect fit for someone else, but is not meant for them. It is my hope that the greatest thing my students will take from their study of literature, and from their experience in my classroom, is that it is never too late to change an educational practice, a paradigm, a way of being, a cycle of defeat, or to simply change the story.
This dynamic openness to “changing the story” forms the cornerstone of my credo. I believe that each aspect of teaching must serve the needs of my students first, and must reflect unique and personalized ways of knowing and relating to the world. Through these key areas of teaching, I will give my students the personalized tools and experiences to change the story.
In this profession, here is what I know to be true.
Relationships with Learners, Parents, Community, and Colleagues
Learners
I believe that rich and respectful relationships outweigh any teaching strategy, and are the underpinnings of good practice. Relationships with students that are based on a reciprocal respect, establish appropriate boundaries, and are propelled by authenticity lead to students who “feel more comfortable in their learning environments, interested in the material, and motivated to perform well” (Bernstein-Yamashiro & Noam, 2013).
These authentic relationships mean a commitment to the whole person flourishing of each of my students. I am committed to pouring out my life, my energy, and my time to help my unique learners succeed. I will greet them at my door by name, give constructive praise, and take a personal interest in my students’ lives that will remind them how important they are to my classroom. I will coach clubs after school and stay up late marking, making lesson plans, and creating hand written letters for each of my graduates. I will bring birthday balloons and treats and make sure my young adults have lunches and someone to talk with while they eat a lunch. I will write scholarship reference letters and ensure my English Language Arts room is stocked with inclusive and equitable texts that remind my students they are not alone in this experience of being human. I will take classes to learn the Indigenous language(s) of whatever community I am ultimately placed in, because I am a guest to this land, and will remind my students – and myself – that I always have something to learn from them.
Parents and Community
In order to truly serve our students first, educators must remove the top-down model in which teachers report to parents, and instead partner together to form a community based, holistic approach to learning that encompasses the family, the educator, and the whole-person enrichment of the learner (Anderson & Minke, 2007). Freshgrade, frequent communications home, and invitations to partner together for a student’s success are all important aspects of placing the personalized needs of the student at the forefront of every decision or practice. This emphasis on student learning as a communal partnership is in line with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, which state that learning “ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors” and that it further “involves generational roles and responsibilities” (FNESC, 2007).
Colleagues
I believe that collaborative practice is necessary to continuously learn about planning, professionalism, and teaching. Being a part of a professional learning community is something that will not only expand my own understanding of teaching, but is truly a student-centered approach, as collaborative practice is directly tied to improved student outcomes (Vescio et al. 2008). In addition, congenial, respectful, and productive interactions with my colleagues will be noted by my students. Being a collaborative team player with colleagues, parents, and the community not only maintains the dignity and credibility of the profession, but, as John Locke suggests, gives students the opportunity to come in direct proximity of people who model the traits and characteristics we wish for them to emulate (Crain, 2000).
Classroom Management
I believe that relationships and excellent instruction are key components for creating a proactive classroom management plan. For a synopsis of how I will deal with low-incidence behaviors, please click here.
Relationships
Proactive and restorative classroom management has been defined as being “about building relationships with students and teaching social skills along with academic skills” (Smith et. al., 2015). I believe that the most effective form of classroom management is proactive, in which positive relationships are formed, students are intrinsically motivated, and rewards are not contingent upon performance or behaviors. Proactive management begins with creating an effective learning environment that is built on positive relationships and high quality instruction. Studies show that students have higher degrees of behavioral and emotional regulation when teachers have high and consistent expectations of those learners (Smith et. al., 2015). An important part of proactive classroom management will be relationship building, learning each student’s name, and making positive phone calls home to reinforce desirable behaviors.
Proactive Management Through Quality Instruction
As a teacher, I believe in establishing routines and classroom expectations immediately; these procedures should be created with self-regulation in mind, which is key for students learning to personally manage their behaviors (Smith et. al., 2015). With this in mind, each class will begin with a daily agenda, which will also be available in advance in Google Classroom. Excellent instruction is also a key element of proactive classroom management. In order to negate elements of frustration or boredom, it will be important to: - circulate the room regularly - practice proximity control - manage transitions between activities - create behavioral contracts with students - use collaborative learning models such as pair-and-share - employ regular brain breaks and regularly assess class engagement
Proactive classroom management can create a classroom culture free from elements of discipline or shame. I believe that formative assessments, clear and differentiated instructions (both in-class and posted in advance for the next day’s lesson), and taking individualized time to address the needs of the student can prevent students from becoming frustrated and acting out; problematic behaviors signal a student’s lack of skills for responding appropriately to difficult or frustrating situations.
Role of Curriculum and Competencies
The Curriculum is to Serve Students
I believe that the role of BC’s new curriculum and competencies is to serve the needs of students, rather than students serving the minutiae of the curriculum. I have chosen to enter this profession and align myself with this curriculum because it values inclusive and differentiated ways of knowing, personalizes learning, and serves students first. I value this curriculum because it will create the tools for my students to change the story. My vision for education has students drawing on global, cultural, and personal histories, having these experiences inform a community based and individualized learning plan in which students have the opportunity to explore different topics of interest that are personally meaningful. This personalized learning plan will engage students in flow, and will teach students how to think critically, as opposed to informing students what to think. The role of this personalized curriculum is to be inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing, and will foster an equitable learning culture in which diverse life experiences and ways of being are valued.
The Curriculum Personalizes Learning
Personalized learning is integral in guaranteeing the success of every student. Through personal attention that reflects the needs of the whole person, students will be able to take ownership of their education and life choices, creating a life and a future which celebrates diverse learners, encourages personal responsibility, and reflects creative and collaborative ways of being in the world. This is in line with the new curriculum’s core competencies, in which communication, thinking, and personal and social proficiencies are valued (Curriculum Info, 2017).
The Curriculum Values Inquiry
I believe that this curriculum will grant student and teacher autonomy, bring a higher emphasis to group work, and establish a precedent for flexible learning environments. It will also value learning that is based on a process of inquiry (rather than the memorization of facts). This synthesizes nicely with the “deep understanding and applications of knowledge” that students will establish through the competencies (Curriculum Info, 2017).
An excellent example of this deep understanding and application of knowledge was when I helped teach an interdisciplinary study on impacts of place and Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing at Dover Bay Secondary School. Students used a process of inquiry to create a personalized mind map of a particular First People’s culture prior to settler contact. Students were engaged, busy, and in flow. The results were astounding; it almost brought tears to my eyes to see how proud my students were of their own accomplishments. As my students rolled up their mind maps for the last time, I couldn’t help but marvel that my students were active participants in reconciliation and “changing the story” of education in BC.
Needs of Diverse Learners Through Inclusive Practice
An inclusive pedagogy is “grounded in upholding human rights, and promoting respect and equality, by providing equal opportunity for participation to all students irrespective of their gender, race, ethnicity, language, or physical ability” (Kaur et al., 2017). I believe that inclusive practice can address the needs of diverse learners by establishing a culture of equity in the classroom, offering individualized support, and by offering a wide and personalized range of opportunity for demonstrating understanding or mastery of content.
Inclusive Practice and the Equitable Learning Culture
I believe that this equitable learning culture can be created by understanding the unique personal situations of my students, and by tailoring learning experiences and assessments that meet those unique needs. For example, I received a notice that one of the students in my practicum class was diagnosed with a learning disability. After meeting with this young woman, my sponsor teacher and I decided to scaffold the difficulty of the questions on our literature worksheets, and asked the student to answer two of the four questions that interested her and made her feel comfortable. In a private arrangement, we assessed this student’s work as if all questions had been answered.
It is also important that inclusive practice gives students the opportunity to learn in a setting – and by a schedule – that is comfortable to them, and that students are given books that empower their sense of self, allow diverse learners to explore identity, and are at a level that can challenge learners without creating anxiety (establishing flow in my classroom). This is why I am completely committed to stocking my classroom with equitable and inclusive texts that will provide positive, empowering reading experiences for each of my students.
Inclusive Practice As Collaborative
Inclusive practice involves giving students the opportunity to collaborate with others, self-reflect, and be assessed in untraditional ways. Integrating student voice in assessment is critical for addressing the needs of diverse learners through inclusive practice; the principles of collaborative process are largely rooted in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which proposes that learning is the result of social interaction (Crain, 2000). This is also in line with the First Peoples Principles of Learning; diverse learners will thrive when learning is “holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational” (FNESC).
Students will succeed as a top-down, one-size-fits all model of education is replaced by an organic learning experience that values student autonomy and encompasses the student, the educator, and the student’s community. I am committed to being a “yes” person with each of my students. By continually seeing the best of what my individual students are capable of, incorporating the tools and pedagogy needed for success, and establishing an equitable, inclusive learning culture, my students will be able to pursue personalized interests and learning, and to see this pursuit as a life-long goal and a source of joy.
Works Cited
Anderson, K. J., & Minke, K. M. (2007). Parent involvement in education: Toward an understanding of parents’ decision making. The Journal of Educational Research, 100(5), 311-323. 10.3200/JOER.100.5.311-323.
“BC's New Curriculum.” New Curriculum Info , curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum-info.
Bernstein-Yamashiro, B., & Noam, G. G. (2013). Teacher-student relationships toward personalized education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Crain, W. C. (2000). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Kaur, A., Noman, M., & Nordin, H. (2017). Inclusive assessment for linguistically diverse learners in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(5), 756-16. 10.1080/02602938.2016.1187250. Smith, D., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2015). Better than carrots or sticks: Restorative practices for positive classroom management. Alexandria: ASCD.