Personal Philosophy

I decided to enter the profession of teaching because of my love of children and the joy and innocence that they bring to the community. I chose primary / intermediate school age because I am passionate about helping children become lifelong learners by developing knowledge and skills to prepare them for the real world.

As a teacher and school leader, I provide all students with scaffolding, guidance, and support to enable them to do tomorrow what they need help with today. This forms the cognitive development and growth that all children require before they can mature and make mature choices.

As a school leader, I will continue to grow students’ competencies by using a range of assessment tools to identify their learning needs and support my team to tailor programmes to meet the needs of students through collaborative learning and self-management approaches that include global connections. I believe encouragement and praise for students by means of constructive and positive feedback will foster good self-esteem, accelerate learning, and inspire students to strive. I believe learning should be fun and filled with literacy and numeracy rich programmes that captivate the interest of all young learners. Learning should involve creativity through visual and oral techniques. As a leader, I support my team and colleagues to provide these means to all students.

Appreciation and recognition of minority students’ cultures and languages are well practiced alongside truth and justice in the school environment. With this in mind, and the recognition of our role in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, children will learn respect for self and others, and be respected in return for their individuality.

I believe education is the responsibility of a community. The community is the foundation for positive learning that is rich in knowledge and skills covered in all aspects of the curriculum framework. Collaborative learning is the theory that recognises the community as being parents, family / whanau, friends, and colleagues who bring with them their support, knowledge and constructive criticism to help better my teaching strategies, leadership and the learning of my student’s.

My place of work is a place of learning for all. The students and staff learn from me and I learn from them. It is a place for reciprocal learning and teaching. This is where my philosophy began and is ever evolving with new and continued experience.