Teaching is part of who I am and I believe that I have the skills necessary to be an excellent educator.
As an uncertified teacher teaching on call (UTTOC), I have had to draw upon every single skill in my personal toolkit. I have also had to hone and develop new skills along the way. I continue to hone and learn new skills as a Teacher Candidate; in both my practicum and in my coursework.
Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to learn about the Successful Learner Traits and have enjoyed introducing them to my students and incorporating them into my classrooms. There are eight Successful Learner Traits (SLTs): Compassionate, Creative, Enthusiastic, Confident, Risk-Taking, Strategic, Industrious, and Thoughtful (https://successfullearners.ca/competency-framework/traits/). Each trait is extremely important to learning and teaching!
As the saying goes, “you must practice what you preach” and I aim to model these traits in my classrooms. All students need good role-models. It is my job, as a teacher, to be a positive role-model.
In addition to the SLTs, I value British Columbia’s Redesigned Curriculum and the Core Competencies: Thinking, Communication, and Personal and Social, along with the Sub-Competencies: Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Social Responsibility, Positive Personal and Cultural Identity, and Personal Awareness (https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies)
I also honour The First Peoples Principles of Learning (http://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning), the 9 R’s (Kirkness & Barnhardt 2001 and Fraser 2021) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. Together, I believe they are essential to teaching and learning in the 21st century!
Please take a moment to watch the following presentation, wherein I highlight, through the use of metaphors, my values and beliefs with regard to teaching and learning. Simply click this link to download. Once downloaded, click “Slideshow” – “Play Slideshow” to watch and listen to my commentary.
Hope you enjoy!
