Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

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Philosophy of Learning, Teaching and Leading

Scott Bailey



Above all else, I am a proponent of a student-centred teaching approach at all

times and in all contexts. Every plan, lesson, inquiry, adaptation, edit or comment
must be coordinated with the best interests and needs of the students in mind. I
believe in modelling strong organizational and communication skills, and that an
effective teacher sets an example of how to learn and act for their students; what
you teaching matters less than how you are helping your learners to know it.
Developing strong pedagogical relationships is key and the utmost responsibility of
any teacher is to be open and available for students to question, discuss and debate
with. As a teacher, I seek to establish myself as a life-long learner alongside my
students (never above, or removed from them). As a leader, I know that the best
teachers are the ones who have the tools and the support they need to cultivate
these powerful learning relationships and it is the role of the leader to support and
work with a team, keeping student-centred learning as the ultimate objective.


The inseparability of the terms teacher and learner becomes exceptionally

clear in the lens of 21st Century education. Lindeman's (1961) assertion that
"education is life" (p. 4), shows that for nearly the last century there has been a
recognition that the formality and institutionalized approach to schooling has
detrimental effects when its paradigm of students as the only agents expected to
learn is effected. That is, traditional understandings of the schooling system as
merely "vocational" (p. 5) establish an environment where students and teachers
limit the experience of being educated to just youthful students and see teaching as

simply the job of educating. In this philosophy, it is hard to see much personal
benefit for teachers in teaching - it is all too easy for teachers to simply become
vehicles of information transmission. 21st Century teachers must embrace the dual
role of educator and continuing learner. This is not only for our own benefit but also
to ensure that the needs of as many students as possible are best met. By viewing
teaching as an activity of lifelong learning, where the teacher has the opportunity to
continue developing and diversifying their own skills, talents and interests, then the
level of engagement in the teacher will certainly be much higher. It would be utterly
unreasonable to expect any level of engagement in learning from students unless
there is a high degree on the part of the teacher. Lindeman further states that "the
resource of highest value in adult education is the learner's experience" (p. 6). I
would argue that this notion holds true in ALL educational settings. In studies of
culturally relevant pedagogy, the past experiences and outside skills of the learner
are stressed as vital building blocks upon which curriculum can be made
meaningful, delivered and expanded upon to achieve deep understanding. Flint
(2008) speaks of "virtual backpacks" that each student brings to school - comprised
of their unique and individual talents, skills and experiences. I argue that the
connection here is that not only should students' experiences be valued and utilized
in the classroom, but also the experience and varied talents and complementary
skills of each teacher. What better way to encourage students to move beyond the
perceived rigid expectations of industrial models of scholing than for the teacher to
lead by example and incorporate their own life experiences into classroom learning.



21st Century learning recognizes the many strengths that students and

teachers bring to school. There is such richness in the learning when these diverse
strengths and interests are respected and used for learning. As an aspiring
educational leader, I firmly believe that we must consciously celebrate moments of
critical thinking and innovation. Enabling students and teachers to engage in
curriculum expectations through meaningful personal expertise and passion make
collaboration and communication natural, allows students of all backgrounds and
abilities to flourish, and makes school about so much more than content recall. The
number one role of a school-based leader is to enable a team to work together
towards the goal of student success. These teams are most successful when the
many talents that all individuals bring to them are fully recognized and respected.




References

Flint, A. (2008). Literate Lives: Teaching Reading and Writing in Elementary
Classrooms. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Lindeman, E.C. (1961). The Meaning of Adult Education. Norman, OK: Harvest
House.




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