Kelsey Spencer, Education & Science Student

My Philosophy of Education

I believe in fair, equitable and tailored education. Each student is unique in their experiences, learning styles and multiple intelligences; their education and surroundings should reflect this. A safe environment is crutial to learning. Safe in the physical sense, but also meaning that students feelfree to express themselves and to take risks without the fear of being critisized or underminded. The KAGAN strategies actively envelop and implement that design in a classroom and are incredibly effective.

I believe that inorder to achieve a truly learner centered, inquiry environment, a school and its inhabitants need to focus on the emotional and social aspects of education as much as the academics. Similarly, focus should be put of the individual and complete needs of students rather than the agenda's of teachers and administrators. In the classroom, acceptance, community and respect must be stressed to increase experimentation and comfort. In regard to class work, process and progress must be more important than the final product. 

I plan to run my classroom with mutual respect. In order to minimize challenging behaviours towards myself and classmates, a family-like setting will be implemented in my class from day one. This environment inludes mutual respect and support, student empowerment with project and assessment options and clear-cut criteria and goals. 

In terms of assessment, I believe that it if only fair to expect high-quality work, once students have had multiple forms of formative assessment. The true learning of every project and experience is in the process, the journey starting from a blank slate and creating something special and something that students can  be proud of. Complementing students' unique learning styles, multiple intelligences and mindsets, multiple types of summative assessment must also be included. The students' minds don't all work in the same way so expecting them to represent their knowledge in the same way is short-sighted. 

I aim to recognize and empower my students to recognize their unique abilities, talents and characteristics. Students should also be able to discover those traits within those around them, and to appreciate those qualities regardless of race/ethnicity, beliefs and values, sexual orientation, gender or lifestyle.