May 2018

Elisabeth Elder-Gomes
Teaching philosophy

Trust and compassion are at the root of my teaching philosophy. No student

wakes up in the morning wanting to disappoint someone. As a teacher, I will strive
to understand why my students are acting a certain way, rather than seeking to be
understood. Any disruption, lack of understanding or participation is a reflection on
the teacher, not the students. A big part of my teaching philosophy is to
continuously strive to better understand my students. When this happens, it is much
easier to create an environment where students are compassionate, confident, and
excited to learn. Additionally, my classroom will be student-centered rather than a
teacher standing in front of a group of students lecturing them. Students need to be
involved in their learning just as much as their teacher is in order for them to
construct meaning from the new information they are learning. I want my students
to see learning as a fun adventure they want to partake in.

It is very important for students to be a part of their own learning. This

creates the opportunity for them to reflect on what they understand and learn to ask
for help. I will make this possible by translating curriculum outcomes into attainable
goals, and make this a visual part of the classroom every day. When teaching a new
concept, I will first model it, then create it with the assistance of the class, and then
get students to do it individually. This gives students a clear idea of what quality is
expected and needed.

However, success can look like many different things. As a teacher, I will
provide opportunity for all different types of learning styles to succeed.
Differentiation is extremely important. In my classroom, I will do this by integrating
all different learning styles into every single lesson: every lesson I’ve taught to date
has had some combination of visual, tactile, kinaesthetic, auditory, social and
solitary components to them. Additionally, I will provide choice for my students to
show what they have learned. Tests and grades are not the only way to show
success: I will incorporate project-based learning and a wide variety of both
formative and summative assessments – such as observation, conferencing,
conversations, learning centres and collection of product – to assess where my
students are in their learning, and what needs to be done for them to continue to
grow.

Every child deserves to have an adult that will never give up on them. A
teacher is often that figure for their students: we are support systems, cheerleaders
and a helping hand. Students in my class will not only learn academic material.
Social and personal growth will be strong elements in the foundation of my
classroom. I will do this through a variety of ways. Most importantly, I will create a
positive learning environment. I want my classroom to be an area where students
feel comfortable and free to express themselves. When students feel this security,
we are creating a space for them to grow. I hope that my silliness and positive
energy will encourage my students to let loose, make mistakes and be ok with being
embarrassed. I will also create this environment with the help of many mindfulness
tools. Meditation and yoga are extremely important to me, and I truly believe that
helping students learn to listen to their bodies and to pay attention to the things
around them is the best way to enable growth in them.

Guiding my students to learn social skills they will need throughout their life
is an essential component of teaching. This can be done by providing many
opportunities for group work. For example, my seating plan will consist of students
seated together in groups of 4, and I will give daily opportunity for learning centres
where students will learn to work together to complete an activity. Additionally, I
will create the most opportunities as possible to get students to look at things
through different perspectives. Not only does this often require group work, but it
also creates empathy in the students towards other people’s beliefs and cultures, an
attitude that is necessary for a well-rounded individual.
 Fostering positive relationships with my students is the most crucial aspect
of teaching for me. When I connect with my students, I am able to better understand
what they need to learn and to be comfortable and happy. Additionally, when
students feel a connection with their teacher, they are more apt to not want to
disappoint them. Creating rapport with my students makes me even more excited,
engaging and connected to my class. It is the foundation of a compassionate learning
environment. I make sure to remember what my students enjoy and to pay attention
to what is going on in their lives. Showing them I want to spend time with them can
be as simple as greeting them at the door with a big smile and a personalized
handshake each morning. Often times, I will go spend recess outside with my
students. Showing them their success is important to me can be done by staying in
during lunch hours for extra support, and paying constant attention through
formative assessment to which students need guidance in what areas.

Connecting with parents is another important component of these

relationships: parents want to know their child is cared about. As a teacher, I will
provide regular communication with my students’ parents through apps like
Seesaw, as well as weekly emails to let parents know what we are doing. It is
important to not only connect with individual parents when something “bad” occurs
with their child, but also when good things happen.

Finally, positive relationships with colleagues is equally important to me. As

a new teacher, I know there is so much I can learn from other teachers, and I want to
contribute to my school in a positive and meaningful way.