1. Teachers & Teaching
1.1. What does it mean to be a teacher? When I think of being a teacher I think of being a friend, a confidante, a role model, and an educator.
1.1.1. How does being a teacher relate to teaching? I think in being all of the above you are to provide of a good example of what it is to be in the world. For example you are showing kids what it looks like to question the information presented in front of you, you should show them how to think critically and question their own perspectives and beliefs. I think that instead of just providing information teachers should teach students how to develop skills that will make them better global citizens. We should model what it means to be a citizen and to respect all walks of life.
2. Learners & Learning
2.1. What does it mean to be a learner? When I think about students I think about children who are open, enthusiastic, inquisitive, and engaged in the idea of gaining knowledge for a deeper understanding.
2.1.1. How do students/learners related to learning? I think that a learner can come in all different kinds of people. I think that a learner is highly influenced by the teacher and their teachings. I think that if as a teacher you in still all of the above in your students then they will feed off of the energy that you give to them. I think that in general we as humans want to learn and enjoy learning. I think that making sure that the students have a personal connection to the material being presented is also key in making them good learners. It gives them a deeper understand of the material and the pride that will take them into the future of life long leaners.
3. Teaching Philosophy
3.1. My teaching philosophy has changed drastically since the beginning of my studies in the Bachelors of Education program here at Brandon University. When I began teaching I saw myself a teacher centred authoritarian. I thought that teachers were to give the students the information, the students were to learn the information presented, and then finally the students would provide the teacher with examples of their knowledge for the teacher to assess and grade. As i've moved through this program and my placements I have found that I am far from what I thought at the beginning of this journey. I think now that as a teacher my role in the education system is to get to know my students, learn what they are interested in, and find ways to help my students find the answer to which they are seeking. I think that I have become a very student centred educator in the fact that I like to give options and variety in the classroom. My favourite part of teaching is the discussions that can come from the topics being presented to the students. Every student has such a unique perspective on said topic and the knowledge that I gain from my students amazes me everyday.
3.1.1. One thing that I know as a teacher I struggle with is my time management skills and mental health. I have battle anxiety and depression since the age of 9 and it has only worsened as time has progressed. I often find that I end up consumed with my students problems and can easily spiral when worrying about what their futures will hold. This can really take away from my ability to be present during the class and not thinking about all the different things that are accumulating in not only my life but my students as well. Taking time for myself and keeping myself healthy needs to be something that I am very conscious of in order to be at my best for my students.
4. Curriculum
4.1. When I look at the social studies curriculum the main idea that I find resonates with me is the idea of connection. I like the idea of connecting the specific outcomes to the students life but even more I like the idea of connecting with the people around you and around the world because of the learning and inclusive space that can be created within the curriculum. You can find connections to yourself and your identity in the curriculum as well as learn about other and their identifies. There are so many thing that you can find connections too in regards to the social studies curriculum. You can connect to your roots and history and you can connect to the ideas of making the world a better place for the generations to come. You can connect to growing as a person just as we as a country need to grow to be a better society. Connecting to people and learning different perspective is something that I think is very important for the future of mankind.
5. Article
5.1. `Active learning for active citizenship': Democratic citizenship and lifelong learning - John Annette, 2009
5.1.1. This article fits well into the idea of social studies because it is all about being active citizens. I think that this is a good read because it talks about how to get students involved in active citizenship and how getting them involved as young kids increases the chance that they will be involved in active citizenship well into adulthood. I think that it is a really good read for teachers because it talks about the fact that students need to be actively involved in their learning for them to become life long learners.