Natasha Gibson Last Revised 01/17/19

Miss Gibson’s Frame of Reference

Educational Metaphor

Education is like nature; it is constantly changing and growing as time goes on.

As students, we are continuously learning and expanding our knowledge, much like

nature around us. As teachers, we are always fostering learning and shaping the lives of

our students. The world is our classroom and we can gain knowledge from everything

around us if we look hard enough. If we think about trees and how they grow, they take

up water and nutrients from the earth and sunlight from the sky, they use resources from

all around them to grow. Students can do the same with their learning; they can gather

pieces of knowledge and wisdom from everyone and everything around them.

Relationships

BC Teacher Regulation Branch Standard Four states, “Educators value the

involvement and support of parents, guardians, families and communities in schools”. It

is very important to me to build strong relationships with all my learners. Students

respond well to adults who they look up to and feel comfortable around. It is also good to

create a safe community feel with the parents and guardians of my students. I want to

involve the parents/guardians as much as possible in my teaching and in the learning of

my students. I plan on spending a large amount of time at the beginning of the year

building a safe learning environment and inviting parents/guardians to an open house to

start off the year. I will have the students create “all about me” activities so I can get to

know each student on a personal level. In addition, I will have a weekly newsletter to
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send home to parents/guardians like I saw my sponsor do last year. This will allow me to

have good, open communication with my students’ parents/guardians.

Classroom Management

I aspire to have a welcoming environment for students to learn and grow in. I

think an important component of classroom management is to allow students some

freedom to play and discover while keeping an organized and well-managed classroom.

Theorist Jean Piaget says that “play is the answer to how anything new comes about.”

Furthermore, I believe that the classroom should always be a safe environment for every

student without exception. It will be my responsibility as a teacher to educate all my

students how to make the classroom a secure environment. I expect all students to treat

each other with respect and to come together to create a safe space where everyone feels

welcome and appreciated.

Formative and Summative Assessment

Another critical component of teaching is assessment. Throughout the year, I will

have continuous formative assessment of my students to gauge their learning and where

they are at in their education. Throughout my education I have learned a variety of

different formative assessment ideas that I will implement in my classroom. The

summative assessment will give me concrete evidence of their learning and allow me to

evaluate what needs to happen next. This will help me to improve my teaching and to

know what students need more help with certain subjects.

Role of Curriculum and Competencies

I will strive to teach the curriculum in a meaningful and interesting way to keep

my learners engaged. It is very important to me to connect my teaching to the core

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competencies to remind the students what they are learning and why they are learning it.

In addition, as one of the seven OECD Principles of Learning states, I will try my best to

build horizontal connections between the different subject areas I am teaching. I believe

in creating meaningful learning intentions and making sure my students know why they

are learning what they are learning.

Inclusive Practices for Diverse Learners

Something very important to me is equity. It is necessary that every student gets

an equal opportunity to learn; every student has different needs and it is critical to

understand that. I will demonstrate this by applying different methods of teaching and

ensuring that every student has a chance to understand the lessons. Every year I will have

a new group of diverse learners and it is necessary to acknowledge that and then alter my

teaching style to fit each student’s needs. I can use the Universal Design for Learning

(UDL) to help me with my planning. I can give students options to do work in different

ways that appeal to them or that display their strengths. I also plan on gathering a variety

of different tools for my classroom that I can have available for my students with

different learning needs such as flexible seating, sensory bins, etc.

Moving Forward

Throughout my years at Vancouver Island University, I have learned so much

valuable information about the theory behind teaching and education and it is my

intention now to implement that knowledge into my teaching practice. Vancouver Island

University’s Education Program strives to create passionate lifelong learners; it is my

goal to continue to learn all my life, even when I graduate from university. Everything
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that I have learned so far throughout my schooling has given me more confidence and

more understanding of the teaching profession and solidified my love for teaching.