1. Your Personal Teacher Identity
1.1. Professionalism
1.1.1. High levels of cooperation amongst different members of the same profession. Upholding the expectations for conduct and competence. Having gone to school to become highly qualified for that position. Possessing the ability to make professional decisions. (Yurick, Sept. 25. 2014)
1.1.1.1. Being a professional = being a river rafting guide
1.1.1.1.1. Certain expectations of both, such as both would possess a strong understanding for where they were going, the ability to handle "normal" and "emergent" situation, and finally, the willingness and desire to modify the journey and the experiences that are had to ensure that everybody not only benefits from the journey, but enjoys themselves at the same time. (Yurick, Sept. 25. 2014)
1.2. How your beliefs alter the way you teach
2. Who is in Charge?
2.1. The Ministry of Education
2.1.1. Provincial
2.1.2. Sets laws in place in regards to education and schooling
2.1.2.1. The Education Act
2.1.2.1.1. Sets in place and determines local curriculum
2.1.2.1.2. Ensures and upholds adequate teacher qualifications so each teachers is equally as qualified to be an educator within the province
2.1.2.1.3. Approves new buildings
2.1.2.2. The School Act
2.1.2.2.1. Provides the system for financing education
2.1.2.2.2. Determines and ensures the continuous relationship of the Minister with the schools jurisdictions, parents, and students themselves
2.1.2.2.3. Provides the administrative system
2.1.3. Controls the collection of taxes for education and schools
2.1.4. The Minister of Education
2.1.4.1. Is an elected member of provincial legislature, a member of the cabinet, and becomes Minister of Education by being appointed such by the Premier of Alberta
2.2. School Boards
2.2.1. Local Level
2.2.2. Alberta School Board Association (ASBA)
2.2.3. Public School Board Association
2.2.4. Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association
2.2.5. Responsible for modifying provincial curriculum, managing the day-to-day administration of the schools, hiring and paying the school personnel, set school budgets, close schools, raise local education taxes, etc.
2.2.6. "It is to these school boards that the enabling legislation delegates most of the routine management of the public schools." (Allison, Gidney & Paquette, 1984)
2.3. Alberta Teachers Association (ATA)
2.3.1. A professional organization of teachers that provides educators with resources for teaching, as well as safeguards them within their practice. It serves both professional and union functions. All teachers within the province (both in the Public education system as well as the Catholic system) are required to be members. Provides the means for Professional Development, fights for fair wages and treatment of teachers, sets rules and policies for educators, and deals with issues raised by individuals in regards to teachers and teaching practices
2.3.1.1. Professional Development is essential to the growth and development of educators. What better way to learn how to grow and adapt as a teacher than to listen and meet with other teachers in the same position as you!
2.3.1.1.1. "I met and continue to meet with and work with exceptional teachers, educators, and administrators who all seem willing to share and help." (Jackson, Nov. 20. 2014
2.4. Colleges and Universities
2.4.1. Faculties of Education ensure the adequate certification of teachers within the province
2.5. School Coucils
2.5.1. Each individual school has one. They are comprised of parents, teachers, and community members. They deal with issues that pertain to that particular schools
3. How can Teachers Make a Difference?
3.1. Understanding and Recognizing the Individual Needs of Students
3.1.1. Educating Gender and Sexual Minorities
3.1.1.1. Understanding the importance of educating students as to the negative repercussions of bullying and homophobic language in schools
3.1.1.2. Ensuring that you are using inclusive language in order to create and welcoming and inclusive classroom situation for all students
3.1.1.2.1. Instead of separating students by gender (boys vs girls), separate them by hair colour, favourite animal, shirt colour, etc. (Maheu, 2014)
3.1.1.3. Establish safe spaces for students of gender and sexual minorities such as GSA's (Gay Straight Alliances), use affirming symbols and images in lessons as well as in the classroom, engage in personal reflection, address homophobic and transphobic language, normalize sexual and gender minority realities, include LGBTQ inclusive curriculum, etc. (Phair, Nov. 6. 2014)
3.1.1.4. Accept and value each child for the unique individual / learner that they are! Treat each student with respect and kindness, regardless of who they are. That is just part of being a good educator, and overall good person
3.1.2. Educating Racial or Ethnic Minorities
3.1.2.1. Aboriginal Education
3.1.2.1.1. It is important to recognize that Aboriginal students may learn in different ways. For example, Aboriginal students have a tendency to learn best through stories, visuals, etc.
3.2. Understand yourself as a person before understanding yourself as a teacher
3.2.1. Reflective Teaching practices
3.2.2. Remaining culturally open-minded
3.2.3. Be mindful that some words or actions may hurt people, even though they were never intended to be hurtful
3.2.4. Recognizing that your personal bias' and beliefs may affect the way in which you teach
3.2.5. Understand your own personal history, bias' prejudices, etc.
3.2.6. Encouraging students and using inclusive language
3.3. Building safe and inclusive classroom environments for all of your students
3.3.1. Commit to getting to know your students
3.3.1.1. This will allow you to have an open and comfortable classroom space
3.3.1.2. Importance of building trust with your students
3.3.2. Relationships with fellow teachers and students are KEY!
3.4. Realize the difference between equity and equality
3.4.1. Determine Privilege
3.4.2. Be mindful and aware of hidden manifestations of culture
3.4.3. Understand that all students are equal as people, but not equal as learners
3.4.4. Acknowledge differences but do not segregate
3.5. Know how to modify your teaching, rather than modifying your students learning
3.5.1. Inclusive Learning
3.5.2. Accept and integrate diversity in the classroom
3.5.3. Build a classroom community!
3.6. Recognize the importance of involving Families and Community members in the learning process
3.6.1. Encourage the blending of home and school
3.6.2. Understand that you are not alone in the educating of the child
3.6.3. Maintain open lines of communication with the families of students (meetings, phone, email, etc.)
3.6.4. Involve the students family in the schooling process to better their education and to further their overall learning
3.7. "Give back as much as you can." (Paul, Nov. 20. 2014)
4. Teaching Styles/Methods
4.1. Philosophies of Education
4.1.1. Perennialism
4.1.1.1. Study the Classics, etc.
4.1.1.2. Learning and Duplicating the past
4.1.1.2.1. Morton Adler
4.1.2. Progressivism
4.1.2.1. Must educate the WHOLE child
4.1.2.1.1. Physically, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally
4.1.2.1.2. John Dewey
4.1.2.2. I relate closest with the ideas that surround progressivism. I think that although it is important to teach straight curriculum to children, by educating them and teaching them to be better people is also important. Then you know that you are not only altering their education path, but you have the ability to change their entire lives for the better.
4.1.3. Essentialism
4.1.3.1. "back-to-basics"
4.1.3.2. Reading, writing, arithmetic
4.1.3.3. Ed. Hirsh Jr.
4.1.4. Social Reconstructionism
4.1.4.1. Believes in social change
4.1.4.1.1. Schools are a vehicle of change
4.1.4.1.2. Paulo Freire
4.2. Roles of the Students and Teachers
4.2.1. Curriculum jointly determined by teachers and students
4.2.2. Curriculum determined by society
4.2.3. Curriculum determined by society AND teachers
4.3. Educational Psychologies
4.3.1. Behaviourism
4.3.1.1. Learning takes place when we interact with our external environment. Interactions that we have shape who we are as learners, and as people.
4.3.1.1.1. Pavlov: Classical Conditioning
4.3.1.1.2. Skinner: Operant Conditioning
4.3.2. Information Processing
4.3.2.1. Information is received and processed in an internal way, making its route from multimedia --> sensory memory --> working memory --> long-term memory
4.3.2.1.1. Cognitive information processing
4.3.3. Constructivism
4.3.3.1. Creating meaning of new information/stimuli by relating it and explaining it by means of past knowledge
4.3.4. Humanism
4.3.4.1. Certain needs can only be met and learning can only adequately take place if certain basic needs are met first
4.3.4.1.1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
4.4. Classroom Management Styles
4.4.1. Behaviourism
4.4.1.1. The use of a punishment/reward system will shape desired behaviours.
4.4.1.1.1. "From day one, I want them to know who's in charge of the classroom. And it's me." (Torn, 2012)
4.4.2. Self-regulation / Inner Discipline
4.4.2.1. Kids are worth your time and effort. If you really focus on shaping them into the best people they can be, they will shine. Reflects the importance of treating children in the same way that you yourself would like to be treated.
4.4.2.1.1. Three Types of Teachers
4.4.3. Supportive Classroom / Democratic Teaching
4.4.3.1. All misbehaviours result from mistake goals (Dreikur's Model of Democratic Discipline)
4.4.3.1.1. Attention
4.4.3.1.2. Power
4.4.3.1.3. Revenge
4.4.3.1.4. Feelings of Inadequacy
4.4.4. Community Approach
4.4.4.1. This approach is really strongly tied with the importance of building relationships with your students. It is highly beneficial for the students if they have the opportunity to build a relationship with their teachers. I know personally, if I had a teacher that I got along with particularly well, or one that seemed to genuinely care about each and every student, I was 1000 times more likely to put an extra effort into that class. Why? Because I really respected that teachers opinion. I wanted to show them what I was capable of, and I wanted them to be proud of me. THAT is the kind of relationship that I believe every educator should strive to have with each student that they come in contact with in their professional career.