The illustration below depicts my Teaching and Learning Philosophy. It is my personal belief that at the root of learning is a foundation of respect for the educator or superior, a mutual relationship between the two parties and the various responsibilities that both students and teachers assume within the learning environment. Above this level are characteristics a good teacher must hold, namely flexibility, patience and passion for the subject. Finally, in order to maximize individual success, teachers must be open to different teaching methods and utilize a variety of them within their day-to-day activities. Examples of such strategies include Discovery Learning, Integrating Technology within the classroom and the “See-Say-Do” Method.
The Roots – Respect, Relationships and Responsibility
At the root of this model are three fundamental properties to successful learning situations. Firstly, a level of respect between the two parties is crucial. Not only must students respect the teacher but the teacher or superior must respect their inferiors as well. Not only will this enhance the learning environment, it will also enable students to feel like they can approach their teachers with new ideas or suggestions for continual improvement of their practices. Secondly, a solid teacher-student relationship is necessary for successful learning to take place. If the educator thinks of themselves as far superior to the student, it is likely that the student will be intimidated and learn less from the interaction. As well, the educator will lose out on learning from the student, which could be detrimental to their personal and professional growth. Additionally, having this relationship will enable teachers/superiors to learn more about those beneath them which will facilitate determining activities or projects that are most compatible with their strengths and identify areas of weakness that require additional support. Finally, students have the responsibility to be open to learning and teachers have the responsibility to teach relevant and accurate information. Falling short will undermine the respect from either party and the learning environment as a whole.
The Trunk – Flexibility, Patience and Passion
Above the roots are characteristics necessary for superiors to hold if they wish to be successful. Flexibility is necessary to ensure that workers and students’ voices are heard, and that new ideas are given the chance to prosper. For example, I have recently begun working for a company and am in the process of being trained on their procedures they have had in place for a number of years. I am in a valuable position, for I am a fresh set of eyes that may have a different perspective on practices that may make things more efficient going forward. I am fortunate to have superiors who are open to accepting my suggestions and have begun implementing some of my ideas.Not only do I feel respected as an employee because of this, but it also encourages me to continue thinking critically and remain dedicated so as to have a hand in the company’s success. Aside from flexibility, it is important for teachers to be patient with their students be passionate about what they are teaching. Missing any of these components will be obvious to students and cause them to question their teacher’s authenticity in the classroom.
The Branches – Openness to new practices
At the top of this model is the difficult ability to be open to new learning and teaching practices. It is far easier for teachers to adopt one method and stick with it day after day, however, this will likely not cater to all diverse types of learners in their classrooms or workplaces. Therefore, teachers must be versatile and implement different strategies within their classrooms. I invite you to visit the Discovery Learning, Technology Integration, and Say-See-Do pages to learn more on such strategies, as they are an integral part to my teaching philosophy.
Beyond the Classroom 