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Philosophy of Christian Education

“[Christian] education aims not only to communicate facts but also to transmit a coherent, comprehensive vision of life, in the conviction that the truths contained in that vision liberate students in the most profound meaning of human freedom” -Pope John Paul II

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Education is vital both for the positive progression of society as a whole and for individual progress and meaning. Our world is full of sin and brokenness, and Christian education empowers students to be Christ’s light in the darkness. Education guides students to develop into responsible 21st-century global citizens who are resilient and make the world a better place through collaborative innovation, creativity, critical thinking, and effective communication.

 

“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.’” –Maria Montessori

 

As a teacher, I exist to guide students towards their own unique understanding of creation and their place in it. In my classroom, I implement routines and class jobs so that students take on much responsibility for the day-to-day running of our class. I encourage students to develop a growth mindset and am very quick to point my own mistakes with a positive attitude. I always introduce the idea of growth mindset at the beginning of the year with the analogy of learning to ride a bicycle: it doesn’t matter if it takes someone one try or 1,000 tries, as long as in the end, we all make progress and eventually get to riding the bike. I hold all students to high expectations so they will rise to meet the challenge.

 

“Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” -John C. Maxwell

 

I believe that social-emotional wholeness in Christ is the foundation of a strong academic program. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs rings true: physiological, safety, love and belonging, and esteem needs must be met before self-actualization can occur. In other words, in order for students to try their best and have a positive attitude towards learning their other needs must be met first. Therefore, I strive to meet those needs by being a caring, nurturing adult to each child. Students need to be explicitly taught social-emotional, self-regulation, and resilience strategies, so I strive to create a classroom environment where all students feel loved, valued, and respected for who they are. To do this I use a Responsive Classroom framework to promote social-emotional learning and a community of belonging as well as ensure all of my students are represented in the learning activities and materials. I have seen first-hand the positive effects on student self-esteem, belonging, behaviour, and, in turn, academic learning facilitated through this approach.

 

“When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” -Alexander Den Heijer

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It was once said to me that teachers should teach every student as if they had an Individualized Education Plan, and I wholeheartedly agree. Each student is uniquely made in God’s image, has the ability and the innate desire to learn, and brings important experiences and perspectives for others to learn from. Learning should be scaffolded and differentiated to meet students of all academic levels in their own zone of proximal development. Each student has unique learning preferences, and I use multi-modal activities and provide opportunities for voice and choice so students interact with the learning in a variety of ways to solidify new learning. Students learn best when they are able to come to their own understanding through experience and reflection, and we are created social, so I use pair, small-group, and whole-group discussion and reflection daily. When students are not progressing as well as expected, I must re-evaluate my teaching methods to ensure I reach all students.

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On Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

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As a former SERT, inclusive and accessible education are incredibly important to me for students with all types of exceptionalities, including physical & cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and mental illness, and I have had a lot of personal experience with this in my teaching roles, and I am glad that this is an important focus of the Board. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the basis of everything we do in our classroom; what’s necessary for some is good for all. Many accommodations listed on IEPs are standard practice, such as allowing students to use text-to-speech and speech-to-text technology, frequent checks for understanding, prompting, allowing processing time, and providing multi-modal learning materials, and frequent movement and mental breaks. I presume competence in all students and value divergent thinking, and I recognize that learning readiness looks different for different students, for example, a student with ADHD may need to be fidgeting or doodling and look like they are not paying attention when they are, and conversely may be completely checked out if they look like they are paying attention.

 

As much as possible, I want to keep students in the classroom and differentiate instruction and learning activities instead of withdrawing students from the community, so I make time throughout the learning process for small-group teaching and design tasks with multiple entry points, designing extra “bonus” or extended tasks for students who are gifted or who may finish ahead of others. I also am quick to check in and provide feedback before a student needs extensive correction to avoid the frustration and wasted time of having to completely redo something.

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With all of this, I promote a growth mindset, resilience, and self-advocacy in my classroom by beginning the year or semester with discussions around responsibility, mindset, and tools students can use to make the best of their learning experiences. I check in with students who need more direct assistance in these areas and provide individual coaching where appropriate.

 

This year I had a number of ELLs and I worked to differentiate their instruction as well by using simplified language, valuing and encouraging students to use their first language, and using tools like translation software to assist, in addition to many UDL 

 

I am keenly aware of the systemic disadvantages experienced by BIPOC students, and work to implement culturally responsive teaching. I recognize that learning has historically been white-centered, and I actively work to value different worldviews, affirming unique perspectives and ways of knowing. I ensure that maintain high expectations for all students. I also bring personal connections to the classroom and ask students to self-reflect and share their experiences where appropriate. I ensure diverse learners are reflected in the materials I use and that the books I provide in my classroom library are windows, mirrors, and doors for all students. 

 

LGBTQ2S+ students have unique needs, so I made sure they feel respected and supported, are in the class of their choosing in sex-segregated classes, and I approach students individually to ask how I can best serve them. I make sure to ask for and respect the pronouns of all students at the beginning of the year or semester, and I consciously used inclusive and non-gendered language as much as possible. I allowed varied forms of assessment for students with gender or body dysphoria, for example allowing them to provide a demonstration of skill live to me and shrinking their camera view so they couldn’t see themselves in the frame.

 

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” -Alvin Toffler

 

Many of today’s students will be working in more than one career over their lifetime and will be doing jobs and solving problems that do not yet exist. It is, therefore, vital to teach students skills as well as content. Critical thinking, research, collaboration, initiative, organization, self-regulation, innovation, digital literacy, resilience, and effective communication skills must be practiced and developed. Furthermore, there must be a balance between rote memorization with a foundation of deep understanding, such as Bible memory or mental math, and teaching the skills students need to critically research, with almost endless information available within seconds at their fingertips. Learning should be engaging and use authentic tasks that challenge students to transfer their learning to new situations as much as possible.   

 

 “Assessment is derived from assidere to sit with or beside. It is something we do with and for a student, not something we do to them.” -Grant Wiggins

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Assessing students' work for, as, and of learning allows me to plan my instruction and helps students see where they are in their learning and set goals for improvement. I allow many opportunities for conferencing, peer- and self-evaluation and self-reflection. Students are trained in how to self-assess accurately and honestly using co-created success criteria, rubrics, checklists, and evaluating sample work. I frequently have students self-assess a rubric that I assess right on top of, and I find students are often tougher on their work than I am. Assessments are varied and given often, and students have many opportunities to receive feedback from peers and from me before a final product is evaluated, and can resubmit work that has not yet met the provincial standard to demonstrate their understanding, showing that the assessment is not the end of the learning. In these ways, students take ownership of their learning and set goals for progress.

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"Discipline is helping a child solve a problem. Punishment is making a child suffer for having a problem. To raise problem solvers, focus on solutions not retribution." - L. R. Knost

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The first line of defence in classroom discipline is a strong relationship, and I embody the “caring demander” who has high expectations but still exudes warmth. I love having fun with students and I find a good sense of humour goes a long way. With this, I try to build strong relationships with parents early on in the semester with positive class home and allowing them to ask questions and express concerns or insights into their child. Expectations are communicated early- be respectful, be responsible, be safe, and we discuss as a class what those 3 things look like, as well as possible consequences when these rules are broken. I use proximity and body language and facial expressions to redirect behaviour, then move to verbal warnings, and then consequences if behaviour continues, such as moving seats or removal from a preferred activity. When consequences happen, I debrief with students privately after the fact (as opposed to singling out a student in front of the class to respect their dignity) why a behaviour was inappropriate, and collaborate with them to determine what will change in the future. I incorporate natural consequences as much as possible, and help students right wrongs if possible. It can also be helpful to discuss student behaviour with colleagues who also have that student, including resource and guidance teachers, to see what works and what doesn’t and to have a united front and consistency for the student. If behaviour is serious or becomes a pattern, I will involve parents and administration. Each day is a new day and students have a clean slate each morning. I also take time to track and reflect on my role in the student’s behaviour to try to determine the function of the behaviour to find ways to replace it with something that is less disruptive and fulfills the same function.

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“Teachers who love teaching teach children to love learning” -Robert John Meehan

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I am a teacher that loves students and loves learning, and I have a close relationship with Christ that I desire all students to know and share. Aha moments are the best! I am often taking courses in order to better my professional knowledge and practice, and have noticed great improvement in my teaching because of my desire to be better for my students. I am excellent at accepting feedback and using it to improve my teaching, and I hope that I continue to grow as an educator and make a positive impact in the lives of students for many years to come.

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