The Pillars Upon Which I Stand: The Teaching Philosophy of Taylor Larter
A classroom should be a safe and supportive environment where students can engage with their learning, make connections, and develop meaningful reciprocal-relationships with their classmates and teacher. This is my ideal classroom. To create my ideal classroom there are three educational approaches that form the foundational pillars of my teaching philosophy.
Pillar One: Meaningful Relationships
Relationships are the foundation upon which a supportive classroom learning environment is created. I believe meaningful, reciprocal-relationships between the teacher, student and classmates, is essential for growth and development. A reciprocal relationship is one of mutual trust, support, and learning. In my classroom I provide opportunities for students to creatively connect and engage with each other and myself so they can build these foundational relationships.
Pillar Two: Safe and Supportive Learning Environment
A safe and supportive learning environment is one where students can expand their knowledge, develop meaningful relationships, and develop their own personal values and identity. Safe means free from harm, but also mentally and emotionally secure. I strive to help students feel safe to ask questions and make mistakes. My supportive environment allows students to ask for assistance from myself, their classmates and the classroom learning resources. Regardless of the students’ background or challenges outside of school, I strive to foster a class environment where everyone can learn, grow and be apart of a caring community.
Pillar Three: Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is a teaching methodology that allows students to explore the relevancy and holistic view of the content and establish deeper connection and understanding, while promoting collaboration and utilizing multiple means of engagement. I employ technology and diverse, stimulating resources to create learning experiences that invoke student curiosity and a questioning mindset. I strive to create experiential opportunities that give students the chance to collaborate, to take charge of their learning and to explore, with myself acting as the learning guide. Through experiential learning I am able to highlight the relevancy of the curricular content and connect it to the students’ lives and experiences outside of the classroom.
Conclusion
The three pillars upon which my teaching philosophy stand are inter-woven with the First Peoples Principle of interconnectedness. I create classrooms where the students are connected to myself and one another, connected to a supportive learning environment, and connected to authentic and relevant experiential learning. My ultimate goal is for all students to experience personal growth and success.