My personal teaching philosophy is underpinned by theories of best practice and my own experiences. My teaching is guided by the seven Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2001) - all of which I have discussed throughout my e-portfolio. I meeting the graduate standards.

When planning, selecting learning outcomes and delivering content to students, my all of my decisions are guided by the Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Schools Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA). The aims of the AC and SCSA align with my own values for helping children achieve excellence and become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens (ACARA, 2016). My teaching is also focused on equipping young Australians to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century, and as such, I aim to incorporate Information Communication Technology (ICT) into my teaching to extend and enhance learning for students. having tools and language to engage with and better understand their world at a range of levels. Overall, my aims for student development are largely in alignment with all AC General Capabilities and Cross-Curriculum Priorities (ACARA, 2016).

My individual teaching and learning style has been shaped by the theory social constructivism whereby students construct their own understandings through exploration and discovery with peers (McInerney, 2014). As an educator, I plan learning to emphasise the active role of the learner in building understanding (Schunk, 1996). For example, on my Year 6 practicum, my philosophy underpinned my practice as I I taught a highly engaging, hands-on scientific inquiry unit which really engaged my students, and you can read more about it here. They loved the learning and their academic results validated my method.

In addition to social-constructivism, communicating warmth, humour and enthusiasm for my work, whilst having a personal presence in the classroom is at the forefront of my teaching, and this is beneficial for students' confidence and sense of security (Roth, 2011). Investing in students personally and establishing a safe, motivating and judgement-free classroom environment is integral to my teaching philosophy, and this is underpinned by Standards 1 and 4 (AITSL, 2011). Knowing my students as people and truly connecting with them has helped me build positive and trustworthy teacher-student relationships with them- a skill which has been noticed and encouraged by my practicum mentors.

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2016, August 15). Australian Curriculum: Structure Retrieved from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/overview/structure

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, [AITSL] (2011). National Professional Standards for Teachers. Melbourne: Educational Services Australia.

Martens, R. (1996). Turning kids onto physical activity for a lifetime. Quest, 48(3), 303-310.

McInerney, D. (2014). Educational Psychology: Constructing Learning. Frenchs Forest: Pearson.

Roth, W. (2001). Gestures: Their role in teaching and learning. Review of Educational Research, 71(20), 365-92.

Schunk, D. (1996). Motivation in education: Current emphases and future trends. Mid-Western Educational Researcher, 9(3), 5-11.

"Share your ideas. Rejoice in what you learn, and spray it.

Be a primary school teacher."

- Tim Minchin

Martens (1996) posits that teachers, particularly those in the primary grades, are significant role models for the children in their class, and teachers' behaviours can influence students' perceptions and values. As such, I believe in sharing my genuine passions and personal interests with my young students as it is highly influential and positive role-modelling for the students. I have seen the positive effects that my enthusiasm for art, healthy eating and swimming has had my practicum students even after a short period of exposure, and I plan to nurture this area of my teaching philosophy.