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My Teaching Philosophy

"One’s human development does not set the conditions for community acceptance – Rather, acceptance is the terrain on which development occurs.”(Kliewer, 12)
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A cornerstone of my classroom practice has and will be to ensure there is opportunity for social and emotional development for all students.  "They are more likely to care about others if they know they are cared about." (Kohn, 111)
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" A community rests on the knowledge of, and connections among, the individuals who are a part of it. This knowledge, in turn, is deepened by helping students imagine how things appear from other people's point of view. What psychologists call perspective taking." (Kohn, 113)
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Today our students are global citizens. If they are to become active and powerful members of this global village they must truly see the world. They can only do this if they have the ability to appreciate, respect and maybe even understand difference.  If they can analyze power and have tools for critique.  I consider it my moral obligation as a teacher to guide students in this pursuit by introducing them to as many varied perspectives as I can. 
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* Image credit: Philippe Ramette
" Beyond Believing to Insisting'." (Bondy, 56)
Students have told researchers that they want teachers who communicate that they are important enough to be pushed, disciplined, taught and respected." (Bondy, 58)
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As a teacher, my deepest desire is to be "Warm Demander" for my students every single day. A teacher who approaches my students with unconditional positive regard, knows my students and their cultures well and insists they perform to a higher standard. 
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* Image credit: KeepInspiring.me Natalie Seale
"“So critical inclusivity doesn’t mean we treat everyone the same. Critical inclusivity means we ask “what are the barriers for that person’s full participation as an equal member of the group, and how do we create workarounds? How do we take barriers down?” (Celia Oyler, 2017, 0:22)
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* Image credit: Inclusive Schools Network
Bondy, Elizabeth & Ross, Dorene. (2008). The teacher as warm demander. Educational leadership: journal of the Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development, N.E.A. 66. 54-58. 
Kliewer, C. (1998). Schooling children with Down Syndrome: Toward an understanding of possibility. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. 
Kohn, A. (2006). The classroom as community. In Beyond Discipline: From compliance to community (pp. 101-119). Alexandria, VA: ASCD(ebook)
Oyler, C. (2017, October 22). Dr. Celia Oyler on Critical Inclusivity. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0dyvAby9S4&feature=youtu.be
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