Teaching Philosophy

My personal philosophy of teaching and learning

All students can learn

I believe that no student is a lost cause. With the correct guidance and support, anyone is capable of achieving.

All teachers can learn

Learning never stops! To be the best teachers for our students, we have to continue our own learning.

My beliefs about education and leadership are informed by extensive firsthand experiences from a career of over 15 years of international teaching as well as a range of leadership positions, which I seek to consolidate in my next role. It is further drawn from postgraduate study and independent research in both educational and leadership theory. However, it is first and foremost intended to reflect my commitment to staying open-minded and adaptable within these fields and does not encompass every belief I hold. I sincerely hold that those working in education must remain informed about contemporary theory and practice in order to remain relevant to meet our students’ needs.

From my experience, success when guiding a group of people, whether in the classroom or outside of it, is dictated by the presence of supportive and empowering relationships.

Schools are communities whose success and growth is centred in the relationships formed between the adults and the children in their care. In international schools this is as true between students and teachers in the classroom as it is between peers, parents and the wider school community outside of the classroom. As a leader experienced in a variety of sometimes very fluid roles, these relationships have allowed me to be able to support and guide my teachers to their own successes. The best leaders work to transform members of their team into leaders. This is done by first ensuring that you know your team well; their strengths, skills and capabilities, and then by ensuring that each individual is supported and empowered to be able to fulfil whichever task they have ahead of them. This attitude has proven successful for me whether introducing a new Maths programme or establishing an entirely new Design course within my school.

Within the classroom, it is my experience that students benefit from the same kind of guidance and support. As leaders of these children, teachers must empower students and provide them with the tools to achieve success and the resilience and feelings of security to safely experience failure. I am a social constructivist, as I have seen firsthand how students are able to form their own understanding of the world around them and particularly when working together. It is the duty of a teacher to facilitate these learning experiences, which is achieved through scaffolding, mixed ability grouping and differentiated teaching – each key in ensuring all students can achieve learning goals. While these goals are often mandated, it is also important to support students in the identification of their own individualised learning goals, and this further gives them ownership of their education.

Being forward looking, an aspect of change and an area of particular interest to me is in the use of digital tools. There are many fads in this emerging arena of education, but it is vital that educators keep ahead of the curve in this area. The world is becoming more and more reliant on technology, and our students will have to live in digital contexts we can only begin to predict. We must ensure that they are prepared, and this also means that we should not shy away from using technology in the classroom. When employed correctly, they enhance learning, improve collaborative practices and give access to a huge range of information, resources and opportunities for skills development.

It is important to believe in each students’ capacity for learning and success, and to never give up simply because one has not yet constructed understanding. Generally, teachers fail in their teaching before students fail to learn. In light of this, it is important to use collaboration as a tool for learners, as learning with and from a peer is highly powerful. Scaffolding, mixed ability grouping, and differentiated teaching and assessment are also vital tools. Teachers should facilitate learning in all students, but they are not to be viewed as empty vessels waiting to be filled, and are as active when achieving understanding as their teacher is. It is a two way street. As such, I have also found that student ownership of education is vitally important within classroom and school settings.

Due to work commitments in our modern world, many parents and primary caregivers find themselves away from home - and their children - more than they would like. As such, teachers often become important figures in the lives of children. Teachers can and should be beneficial role models for students. It is not enough to only focus on teaching and learning; we must also consider our pastoral role. Students should be encouraged to discover who they are and to find the things they are passionate about. Knowing this will not only allow them to achieve greater satisfaction and happiness in their lives, but may also prove a useful tool for teachers to use when planning class materials that will engage students.

I believe that the best teachers never stop seeking learning opportunities of their own. As such, I am always looking for ways to expand upon my current teaching skills through professional development. I also seek opportunities to pick up other skills that may relate to education, including those related to educational technologies. Students should also be encouraged to become lifelong learners and to love learning, as life will never stop throwing challenges at them. If they are encouraged in this way, they will see such challenges as learning opportunities, and rather than being caused undue stress by them they will gladly engage with them in order to better themselves. If they can see their own teachers acting in such a way, they are more likely to model such positive behaviours themselves.

Finally, I have been fortunate to have worked in schools following well-structured and proven curriculums, such as those from the IBO and Cambridge, as well as in systems where international curriculums have been adapted to fit with national guidelines and local assessments. Both within the classroom and for school administrators, these programmes serve to give rigour to practice, to the advantage of both students and educators. It is vital that they are approachable and clear, and it is again my experience that the happiest and most successful schools work with this in mind. The heart of a school is in its student body, and every effort must be made to ensure that it beats strongly. It should be the duty and mission of every member of school staff to support and work towards this goal for each and every child, both in the classroom and outside of it.

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