Jordan Puscus -E-Portfolio
My Teaching Philosophy
My fundamental philosophy as a teacher is that every student has the potential to not only succeed, but to thrive if given the proper supports, encouragement, and unconditional acceptance. It is a teacher’s primary responsibility to help support their students to reach their full potential by providing them the opportunity to grow their knowledge, build their skills, and develop their values in a safe and nurturing space. Ultimately, we want to prepare our students to face challenges and overcome adversity in a safe place so that they can do this outside of the classroom environment. As a teacher, I also believe it is my responsibility to instill and reinforce certain values in students to shape a better world for the future. By supporting and developing certain values, it will allow for an opportunity to prepare students to be successful in their future and ultimately become contributing members of society. These are my fundamental philosophies about the role of a teacher, and I believe there are several ways to achieve that.
The central aspect in creating this type of environment is a teacher’s relationship with each of their students. To have a positive impact on a young person you need to genuinely care about them, get to know them, and make them feel loved, accepted, and that they belong in your classroom. If a positive relationship exists with a student, the likelihood of their engagement in the learning process and their chances of personal growth are much more likely. Ultimately, we want children to grow and develop in positive ways that allow them a sense of fulfillment and self-efficacy in their lives. These principles are built around the idea of utilizing a student-centered approach in the classroom. I believe it is essential to provide child-centered teaching practices by focusing on the unique circumstances and abilities of each student. It is important to recognize the unique strengths and needs of each student related to academics, behaviour, and family circumstances to best support them in achieving success.
My instructional approach would be to provide differentiated learning opportunities, as well as lessons and activities that are specific to the interests of the students. If students are provided learning opportunities that involve their personal interests, they are much more likely to become deeply engaged in the learning process. It is also important to adapt and modify teaching materials as time moves on and not just recycle approaches. My philosophy is that teachers need to transform with the times as students will not remain meaningfully engaged in the work if they are not presented materials, ideas, and concepts that are current and relevant. I believe that some students are intrinsically motivated by school, but others have had negative experiences and they need to be given opportunities to reconnect to the school environment. This student-centered approach will allow for increased chances for students to rebuild this connection and belonging which will ultimately lead them to meet their full potential.
As a teacher, I also believe it is my role to support students in developing their own identity and constructing personal and social values. The goal is not only to prepare our students to be successful within and outside of academic institutions, but we also want to build and nurture students that are caring, kind, and empathetic to the needs of others. My background in social work has created a strong sense of the need for diversity, social justice, and equity in our world. My philosophy will be to pass along these values to my students so that they can help contribute to a more loving, accepting, and collaborative society. The intention of instilling certain values in students is that this will allow them to better adapt to a constantly shifting world in which we are more cognizant of the importance of diversity among peoples. These values will help them to get along with others and achieve success not only in school, but in extracurricular activities, their social relationships, and future employment opportunities. It is a teacher’s responsibility to help build and shape the future leaders of our community and society.
