where do I start?

When I begin teaching,

What I know of the world. What I hold to be true.

I begin with what I’m sure about.

My beliefs inform my practice.

They translate who I am

into how I teach.

Here is how beliefs show through

in what we say and doin our classrooms

Belief #1:

In a climate of trust and mutual

respect, we inspire and encourage each other.

In my classroom I focus on relationships.Not just on building them, but on the quality of what I build.

inspire and encourage each other

I have clear expectations and I communicate them well.

inspire and encourage each other

school

studentparent

teacher

Belief #2:

We move towards experiences from which we gain a sense of

achievement and self worth.

Are you ready for this?How can I challenge you?

How can we learn from our mistakes?

What positive feedback can I give?How will we progress, together.

achievement and self worth

In my classroom I ask:

Belief #3:

Learning that is learner driven

is more likely to be effective and meaningful

Just like me, each student has their own story.

learner driven learning is more meaningful

I need to discover how each student learns best.What do they know? What do they want to know?

In my classroom each student has choices.

I seek to:

design learning experiences with open-ended aspects

Negotiate the curriculum at a micro level in class, and also at a macro level, giving students the opportunity to plan their own curriculum with parent and teacher guidance

learner driven learning is more meaningful

Belief #4:

Learning is constructing and deconstructing meaning from

our own experiences

KEEP IT REAL!or more accurately ...

Model being a ‘learner’ not a ‘knower’

Explore and manipulate concrete materials

Explore real life situations

Explore issues that are student issues

Design experiences that challenge students’ views of the world

Work from practice to theory

Involve students in coming up with patterns or rules

Build on what is known

Critically reflect

Make time to explore, discover, debate, question, design, practise

construct meaning from our own experiences

Belief #5:

Our brain-mind-body system is capable of multiple ways of knowing. 'Knowing' is deepened and amplified when there is an integration of our ways of knowing.

I seek to:

multiple ways of knowing

design learning experiences to integrate our many ways of knowing

integrate experience, feelings, imagination, information and action.

At a micro level this means:

multiple ways of knowing

integrating emotion, movement, image and

sound Practices that encourage expression of learning in a variety of ways include dance, drama, song, story, cartoon, posters, metaphor, essay, debate, theory, procedures

Belief #6:

Human psychic drives differ in

different life phases

Match the nature of the learning experiences to the primary psychic task of the learners’ life space.

drives differ

drives differ

Infancy: trust and belonging

drives differ

Infancy: trust and belongingChildhood: competence and playfulness

drives differ

Early adolescence: identity

Infancy: trust and belongingChildhood: competence and playfulness

drives differ

Young adulthood: intimacy vs isolation

Early adolescence: identity

Infancy: trust and belongingChildhood: competence and playfulness

My beliefs inform my practice.

They translate who I am

into how I teach.

The material herein was extracted and adapted fromFrom Values & Beliefs about Learning to Principles and

Practice COPYRIGHT:© Julia Atkin, 1996

the contents of which were published previously as:Seminar Series No. 54, Incorporated Association of Registered

Teachers of VictoriaMercer House, 82 Jolimont St, Jolimont. 3002