TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Learning is a life-long process, for the student and for the teacher.
GROWTH MINDSET
With the right kind of guidance, motivation and effort, everyone can improve, change and grow - this is the essence of having a growth mindset. Our intelligence and skills are not fixed, a bad grade is not permanent, and setbacks are only more opportunities for learning. To make mistakes demonstrates that you are trying.
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Instead of a traditional 'fixed' mindset, which views intelligence and potential as pre-determined and static, punishes failure and only values a particular kind of achievement, I believe teachers should adopt a 'growth' mindset, both for the students and for themselves.
EXEMPLIFY EXCELLENCE
As teachers, I believe that we should model the behavior and attitudes that we want to see in our students. If we want to instill kindness, empathy, honestly, humility, resilience, courage and a good work ethic, then we have to model that for our students. We cannot cultivate mindfulness in our students without first cultivating it within ourselves.
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As teachers we have an important role in developing the soft / socio-emotional skills of our students, in addition to the 'hard' skills like language, mathematics and science. To be properly prepared for the world at large, students need empathy and critical thinking just as much as grammar and arithmetic.
TAOISM IN THE CLASSROOM
Taoism is a way of thinking about life, ourselves, and our place in the world. These are important considerations that play a huge role in shaping our experiences, how we face challenges, and how we respond to other people.
In essence, Taoism in the classroom is about being present in the moment and practicing gratitude. It's about acknowledging and valuing the individual self rather than comparing ourselves to others. It teaches us to see learning as a process and to appreciate each step in the journey, and that the journey is as important as the destination
