My Educational Philosophy

EEA 535: Dimensions of Educational Leadership

Dr. Gloria Antifaiff

O’Nesseia Edmondson

June 5, 2021
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”-

Albert Einstein.

My educational philosophy begins with my unwavering belief that all students can learn.

Children are like a sponge. If they are placed in the right atmosphere with the right level of

encouragement, love and growth opportunities, they will be successful. Children are God's gift,

and each one should be held to the highest degree of value. They have the right to learn in a

healthy, protected and encouraging environment. Their physical, mental, emotional and social

needs should be interwoven into the expectations of curriculum, instruction and assessment

practices. I desire to create an environment where students are my main priority. This

environment is one in which they can perform to their fullest potential while discovering and

appreciating their unique qualities without fear of criticism or failure. While failure might be

viewed as a negative, I try to instill Carol Dweck’s idea of a growth mindset in my students.

Dweck (2008) states that "When individuals have a growth mindset, they don't mind or fear

failure as much because they realize their performance can be improved and learning comes from

failure.”

I believe in helping my students to realize and maximize their full potential. As I navigate my

role as an educational leader, I hope to touch all my students and colleagues in an unforgettable

way. I endeavour to be a leader who challenges my students to reach their full potential, and see

beyond the present to life outside of school. I wish to equip my students with transformational

learning experiences that will encourage competence and mastery. I work hard to provide my

students with wholesome, authentic learning experiences that allow for, higher-order thinking

skills to be cultivated and utilized. Students may not quickly remember what they are told, but

they will not quickly forget an activity that was engaging, autonomous and allowed for
collaboration with peers. I aim at effective planning that supports and employs authentic learning

strategies that allow students to connect their learning to real-life applications. I aim to give

students more opportunities to choose their learning paths and have assessments that reflect how

students perform rather than complete standardized test questions.

Goals for my students include enabling them to think critically, problem-solve and make the

connections between school and life. For students to remain focus and interested, they must be

led to understand the importance of the learning process. How things are done, where the skill

can be utilized, and why each concept is important to their overall learning and development are

all essential aspects of the learning process.

I believe in having multiple teaching theories and strategies in my toolbox. No two students

learn the same way. I desire for each student to learn and grow to their full potential while under

my guidance. I believe that lessons should employ multiple strategies to engage students so they

can find value in each lesson. Group work, authentic learning, collaborative problem solving, are

among my favourite strategies. I find that my students enjoy the strategies I use but I also seek

opportunities for utilizing additional strategies as the need arises. Classes differ from year to

year, and so do strategies, depending on the group. Flexibility is vital in the teaching profession.

At the heart of all I have discussed, relationships are key! The Alberta Leadership Quality

Standard (2020) competency #1 - Fostering Effective Relationships 1c states that this

competency is achieved by "creating a welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning

environment.” (p. 4). It is the relationships that I develop with my students which enables

significant learning to happen. When every student knows they are deeply cared about, more

productive learning can occur.

I intend to continue being a life-long learner. For my students to be the change I want to see, I

must develop an attitude for continuous learning so that I am always remaining abreast of what is

new in education and effectively facilitate all that students need to become successful.

My educational philosophy is a mixing bowl of salad. It is garnished with several different

types of goodies, including the sweet, the crunchy, and the tangy that fuse together to give that

absolutely satisfying and flavourful experience for my students.

 Reference
Alberta Education. (2020, October). Leadership quality standard.

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/ed-leadership-quality-standard-english.pdf

Allison, D. L. (2006). Integrated arts: an integral part of teacher education. ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ

ЧЕРЕЗ ВСЮ ЖИЗНЬ: НЕПРЕРЫВНОЕ ОБ РАЗОВАНИЕ ДЛЯ УСТОЙЧИВОГО

РАЗВИТИЯ//Материалы, 63.

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House Digital, Inc.