Michael Knight

April 15, 2015

My Teaching Beliefs and Values

Aretha Franklin said it best, back in 1967; RESPECT. This is the underlying belief that I carry
throughout every aspect of my teaching.
Environment

RESPECT should be seen everywhere, teacher/student relations, student/student relations

The classroom environment should always be a positive one. Students should feel safe
and able to learn. They should be willing to ask and answer questions without fear of
consequence or failure. Everyone should feel as though their opinions matter in the class.

Behaviour in and out of the classroom

As a teacher
o Approachable
o Respectful
o Professional
o Punctual
o Unbiased
o Friendly/smiling. Dont be scary or intimidating
o Patient
o Mindful of different cultures and beliefs
As a student
o Respectful of each other and myself
No student should hold their opinion higher than any other students. Nor
shall they condemn or insult the opinion of their fellow students or myself.
o Students need to be punctual and prepared for class
o It is important that all students have a positive belief about learning and their role.
They need to be engaged in the learning, not simply observing.

Role

I am their teacher first, not their friend! I can be friendly with the students, but I must not
allow them to cross that line. If a teacher allows students to become their friends, then
they lose the stance of being an authority figure.
It is my job to ensure ALL students receive FAIR opportunities to learn. This can be
through an inclusive classroom or else recognizing my own inability to reach a student
and consequently having me reach out for external aid.

Michael Knight

April 15, 2015

Personal vs. Professional

It is can be difficult to separate your personal life from your professional one. Your
professional life will dictate a great deal about your personal life.
You can still have a personal life, but you must remember, while in public especially, you
are being watched by parents and students.
A teacher should not be working alone on an isolated island; but should rather collaborate
with their colleagues to improve their own teaching and learning. Get to know your
colleagues.

Strategies

The Silent approach does seem rather effective. Rather than calling the class to order or
raising your voice to get their attention, you simply stand at the front of the room and
wait for their cooperation. If that does not work, then you are to move closer to the
students who are making the most noise. It may take some time, but they will come to
attention.
Using a system of bumps to deal with inappropriate behavior. Rather than losing your
temper or jumping to your maximum level of punishment, you start small and build if the
first approach is not successful.
Never lose your cool! You cant be in control of your class if youre not in control of
yourself. If you do ever lose control, you need to remove yourself from the situation if
possible to allow some cool down time. If you cannot leave, then take a step back and
count to ten, taking deep breaths. Depending on the severity of your loss of control; you
may be required to make a public apology to your students.
The high and low teacher status stance. When dealing with a situation, you start down at
the students eyelevel. If they are sitting, then you need to kneel down. If the situation is
escalating, then it is time to lean back or even stand so that you are looking down on the
students. Not to intimidate them, but rather, to demonstrate that you are serious and not
approving of their actions.

Curriculum

You must always be working and consulting with the curriculum to make certain you are
meeting all the goals and requirements for your class
There are things outside of the curriculum that you can bring into the classroom too.
Always be cautious though. If your town has a festival day, such as apple day, you must
make certain that your activities which correspond to this festival day are actually part of
the program of studies and are not simply sponge activities.