Following practicum how has some of your thinking about teaching changed or been further advanced?

I have enjoyed my time out on Prac 1B. I have learnt that I want to continue with this degree as I am seeing the changes I have made in tauira which makes me proud of the work that I have accomplished. While out on Prac 1B, I have noticed some things I will take with me and some things that I won’t. 

During this year, I saw out in schools that they have “Golden Time”. It continues every fortnight where tauira are expected to have a high level of work done for their age group which is year 5-6. They have green, orange and red bands which represents great work (green), satisfactory work (orange) and needs work (red). If they have achieved that green band, they are able to have free time on the Friday afternoon in the second week. If they have received a red band, they don’t get Golden Time and are required to finish off their work to a high Year 5-6 standard. 

Although it is out of a teacher’s control and usually dependent on the school, I didn’t like the use of devices of all work. However, because it is a modern learning environment and most of the teacher’s work was done online, the tauira is required to have a device. I still prefer to work paper and pen with limited use of device. As the times are moving to a modern way of teaching, which does require more use of the devices, I will have to learn to incorporate the use of the technology.

What were some of the interesting discoveries about yourself while were out on practicum 1B?

Although we are moving fast into using technology is most of the teaching, I still prefer to use book and pencil. Also, most of the teaching done during my practicum was on the children’s iPad or iMac which was so foreign to me. I am used to seeing the teacher standing in front of the class and teaching any concept. For example, during reading time, my AT gave the children their school journals and sent them off and the activities was on Google classroom. She never sat with all the groups but the more advanced children which I found strange. I would want to work more with the children that found the work harder so I can help their comprehension and understanding.

Also, the school I am in an ILE. Independent Leaning Environment. Which I still find strange. When I was there in Prac 1A, the school were introducing the ILE but still had individual classrooms. Just down below the bank was a new building which is an full immersed ILE. Meaning no classrooms. No individual four walls. Just three floors with four walls.

I had full control for 2days without my AT meaning I was able to experiment for myself to see what it was like having my own class. At first, I was a little nervous not having my AT around to help if needed. But as the day went on, I became more comfortable and confident in my abilities to manage a class of 30 YR 5-6 children of which a third either had behavioural problems or having ESOL. Those two days of full control without my AT was a fun and good experience to see what my classroom would one day be like if I was as strict with my routines as my AT was.

Some areas of further development that you identify for yourself?

Over this past year and during my placement, I realised I have a few areas that I need to develop over the next couple of years. Noting that I need to work on the following areas; Patience. Confidence. Loud Voice.

It is so important having patience with children because they all learn at different paces. I noticed during my two placements over this year, there were a lot of impatient teachers, not just my associate teacher. I do not want to be that teacher that gives up when a child is seen struggling and not improving. I believe it’s my job to make sure it’s understood even if it means changing the kaupapa in order for that child to comprehend.

Confidence is another huge area that I need to work on. Confidence to stand up in front of people and talk and confidence in knowing that what I will be teaching is good. I’m the type of person to undermine my abilities when it’s not that same as everyone else. I recognised that I am not like every other person and every other person is not like me. This is something that I need to work on if I understand ideas differently to other people, I still need to be confident in my capabilities.

Another thing that I have been told over the past few years is to “Use your loud voice,” “You need to be loud,” “They (the children) won’t listen to you if you are quiet,” “You need to be assertive so they (the children) know you’re not their friend, but their teacher.” Generally, I am a softly spoken person. I don’t have to yell, I just need to be assertive in my commands and what I want them (the children) to do.

Whakatauki

“Ahakoa he iti, ka nui te wehi"
Although small, the impact is significant."

This whakatauki is relative my teaching philosophy. I am a small person in the big world. I have the possibility to grow young minds. I believe it’s not about the quantity of work I put in but the quality of my knowledge to share with the children. Big things come in small packages.

Also, the small achievements of the children do play a significant role in their lives. Allowing them to be proud of what they have accomplished whether it was coming second in a karate tournament or placing in reps for a sport; every achievement, no matter the size, will play a important role in a child's life.

Kiwaha

Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei
Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain

This means so much to me after overcoming many obstacles to be where I am today. The thing that has been most valuable to be is the values I have gained over the many years. I learnt that it is not about how many times we get knocked down, it is about how many times we get knocked down and get back up. 

What makes you so special?

My family. My friends. My experience.

Growing up, I loved being able to help people or teach them how to do something or even to share the knowledge I had. I was always the person that would raise my hand to help with anything because that is the type of person I am.

As I got older, choosing a career path was quite a rollercoaster for me. In intermediate I wanted to be a teacher because I saw the effort one of my teachers put in to help his students and somehow, I wanted to be a person like that, especially with children. I come into this profession with the support and love of my family and friends.

My experience coming from a teacher aiding position has made me a person that has already some background in dealing with certain behaviours in children. I also know already what I want and don’t want to do in my own classroom one day. I have gathered some philosophies that I agree with and support and there are ones that I don’t.

What do you understand, ethics in education are?

Ethics in education are rules or guidelines that teachers follow to provide a safe environment for their students. It is about helping fellow teachers who are new to the profession.

I know that being a teacher, you are in contact with other teachers, colleague’s, learners, whanau and community. Under the New Zealand Teachers Council, Code of Ethics for Registered Teachers, 2004) teachers are governed by four principles as follows:

Autonomy to treat people with rights that are to be honoured and defended,

Justice to share power and prevent the abuse of power,

Responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others,

Truth to be honest with others and self.

Autonomy is understood to be a moral philosophy which gives a capacity to make an informed and unbiased decision. Justice is the maintaining over being fairly treated no matter who the student or the situation is. Responsible care is knowing that when parents bring their child to school, we as teachers are responsible to care for them. Parents are putting their trust in us as teachers to make sure their children are being treated fairly. Truth is seen as knowing all the facts, data and events that has happened and dealing with that. We are to be truthful in our decisions every day while we are at school.

What are some of the elements to be embedded into your teaching?

The five elements that are embedded into my teaching are knowing that all tauira come with different abilities, valuing ourselves as teachers, having reciprocal respect, good digital citizenship and tolerance and understanding.

TAUIRA COME WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES.

The beginning of a school year, tauira come into the classroom with different abilities and different stages of educations, and that’s okay. It is our job as their educators in school to help develop that abilities. 

VALUING OURSELVES AS TEACHERS

As teachers, it is so important that we value ourselves as teachers in knowing that we know wat we are teaching is right and for us that is enough. We are always able to develop ourselves professionally and personally.so we are can improve our way of teaching. Going to RTLB meetings and Autism courses was valuable knowledge for me in knowing how to work with troubled children in the classroom.

RECIPROCAL RESPECT

Teaching respect is a whanau responsibility but developing that respect and encouraging it in classroom is a teacher’s job. I believe in showing respect toward tauira will be reciprocal. I saw this is in my placement. When the teacher has the students respect, that student is trusted to do certain jobs around the classroom.

GOOD DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

With today’s children, they are using technology more than ever. Either using a tablet or computer at home and school. It is both the teachers and the whanau responsibility to make sure that tauira are using their devices with respect for everyone online.

TOLERERNCE AND UNDERSTANDING

With classrooms being more and more diverse culturally, it is key to have tolerance and understanding in a classroom. It is amazing to see the different cultures that are celebrated. I saw this during my placement. One day the entire school celebrated a Culture Day. The students came to school dressed in traditional costumes and had the ability to share what their dress means and when it usually worn. Having that understanding allowed respect and tolerance towards each other and their different cultures.

What are the important values for teaching that you carry with you?

So far, I have realised that each individual child comes with their own unique style into the classroom. It is my job to allow each child to be open and comfortable in sharing who they are in a safe environment.

It is important that I will provide an engaging and stimulating environment for all children to be life-long learners. Also, to provide empowerment to each child. This motivates their learning capabilities. 

A value that is important for teaching is to value ourselves as teachers. As teachers, it is vital that we come to school every day in knowing that we are capable to growing the young minds of tomorrow. As a teacher, I wouldn’t stop wanting to learn the next best thing that could help my students. I would want to continue to develop myself into a teacher that will strive for continual personal and professional growth.

What do you offer the profession?

Some people don’t get to experience a classroom environment as an adult after they finish school. Only experience they have are from many years ago when they were in primary school.

I was lucky enough to have the experience of being a teacher aide. I got to see how teachers teach, in the class and behind the scenes. Not many others have. I come with empathy, which I believe that it is an important value for all teachers to have. Over the couple of years that I have been exposed to the teaching profession, I have created my own philosophy.

I come into this profession knowing and believing that all children come with their own individual personalities that make them who they are as a collective in the classroom.

Why have you come into edcuation?

It started back in my early days in high school, around year 7 or 8 in my social studies class. My social studies teacher was the start of my introduction into teaching. He was cool. He was the one that first inspired me to come into teaching, just not high school. Only because I remember what I was like. The education profession took a back burner when my high school had a careers night, which changed where I wanted to go.

When I left law school, I got a job at the school I attended in primary. I stayed there for a year and a half, which further pushed me into getting my teaching degree. While I was a teacher aide, I wanted to become someone who would inspire many children to be good learners, whether it was in sports or academics. For most of the time I was working as a teacher aide, I was told consistently to stop wasting my time as a teacher aide and move on to get my teaching degree. Being told that on constant basis, showed me that I was noticed a lot more than I thought. So I made the decision to go back to school and get my degree in teaching and came to Te Wananga o Aotearoa

Introduction

Kia Ora koutou,

This is all about my education philosophy 

Over the next couple of weeks, you will get to have an insight into my education philosophy and how it was formed

A little about me is that I wasnt born here in New Zealand. I was born in Cape Town, South Africa. That place place right at the bottom of Africa.

This is the country I was born in and spent the first 7 years of my life before my parents made the decision to move to New Zealand to give us children a better life and more opportunities.

Now that I've been living here for most of my life here in New Zealand, I'm embracing my New Zealand culture. This place will always be my home.

Ko Mangere toku maunga

Ko wairua toku awa

Ko Emirates toku waka

Ko tamaki makaurau toku iwi

Ko Michaela Duarte toku ingoa

No reira tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.