Leading Teacher Professional Reflections

As an effective teacher, I aim to be a source of inspiration and provide a dependable and consistent influence on young people as they make choices about further education, work and life.  I seek to inspire in students - curiosity, tolerance, honesty, fairness, respect for diversity and appreciation of cultural differences, all of which are prerequisites for intellectual growth: the ability to reason, be creative and take risks and to adopt an experimental and problem solving orientation. 

Teaching today is challenging – students already have an unprecedented power to amplify their ability to think, learn, communicate, collaborate and create.  A few years ago my best memories of teaching would have been having a student understand a hard mathematical concept or correcting a well written Practical Report.  Today however, it is the students who teach me!  Everyday I experience a special teaching moment!  My students are so eager to explore the world in which they live and they take great pride in teaching themselves and others.  Sometimes they even teach people they have never met, engage in conversations with students on the other side of the world and help solve issues that matter.  

What an exciting time to be a teacher!  

Standard 1:  Know Students and how they learn
Standard 2:  Know the content and how to teach it
Standard 3:  Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
Standard 4:  Create and maintain safe, and supportive learning environments
Standard 5:  Asses, provide feedback and report on student learning
Standard 6:  Engage in professional learning and reflection
Standard 7:  Contribute to the school and professional community