If I were to summarize my teaching philosophy in one sentence, it would be in the words of Margaret Mead: “children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
I interpret the principle message in these words as not just feeding children information to regurgitate and later forget, but providing them with practical skills that allow them to discover information independently, examen sources critically, and develop research abilities to acquire knowledge. This approach makes learning authentic and long-lasting. In the modern world we are presented with an astounding amount of information daily that we will not retain. And that is okay. Not retaining everything we hear or see does not matter if we have the ability to find relevant information as we need it. Teaching students learning skills is tenfold more important than teaching them sets of facts.
I believe in setting students up to be independent citizens, equipped to be successful in their future. Children will not always have a teacher/guardian to hold their hands and guide them through their decisions, so it is crucial to their future well-being that we enable them to become deliberate and strategic thinkers. As an educator, I will provide students with opportunities to inquire and discover the world around them. They will be given freedom to make mistakes, understand and experience natural consequence, and learn how to resolve issues. Students will be afforded the chance to explore the paths their curiosity takes them down, learning to value their own inquisitiveness and thus gain confidence in their abilities. My belief in supporting multiple means of expression and representation will allow students to believe in their innate ability to learn and begin to understand what works for them, fostering life-long learners.
My philosophy is ever developing, as I am ever learning and growing. Completing this assignment provoked me to think about what my philosophy around teaching was, and to reflect on why. This reflection inevitably led to a deeper understanding of my values, my privilege, and where I want to go from here.
