As one of our first Tdts in MA1 we were asked to write about why we chose teaching as our profession. I did not take the straight forward route to university like so many of my fellow education students did. I did not know from day dot that I wanted to be a teacher in fact I thought it wasn’t for me! I had decided I didn’t have the patience to work with children and so I went into full time employment instead of going to uni.
Initially I worked in a bank, I didn’t like it. Then I moved into administration up in Aberdeen, I didn’t like that either. Finally I was chosen out of over 100 applicants to work in sales and administration for a well know Jam company, I loathed that job too.
Yet looking back if I hadn’t been working in that factory listen to all those people become frantic and stressed over JAM (really?!) then I wouldn’t be here today. Here at Dundee University. Here as an Education student. Here as a future teacher.
In my previous post last year I spoke about how I wanted to do something that mattered and that I wanted to be in a profession that made a difference to people on a personal level. This is still the case. In fact after my first placement I can happily say that this motivation has been instilled a new.
Last year I wrote that I wanted to be: ‘an adaptable teacher. A teacher that understands the advancements and developments in the world and rises to every new challenge.’ I still feel the same one year on. Every day can be a challenge in a primary classroom and I found within my placement that I have a knack of bouncing back, I am able to reflect and re-evaluate more quickly than I ever thought possible. I rose to the challenge when lessons didn’t go as planned, or learners didn’t respond in the way I had hoped. I rose to the challenge when two new children started and brought with them new ideas and new behaviours. Now I am back on campus rising to the challenge of new modules and a heavier work load all because I know deep down this is exactly where I want to be and exactly what I want to be doing.
A huge part of why I wanted to teach came from witnessing injustice and wanted to, in some small way, be a part of putting a stop to it. I am a huge believer of inclusion, even if in some cases that means exclusion, I am someone who sees everyone as an individual and wants to see them achieve their fullest potential. In my post last year I wrote: ‘I want to be an inclusive teacher, a teacher that works hard to cater for all her pupils. A teacher that explores new avenues and reflects on her own practice.’ This still stands. Through the International baccalaureate module I am beginning to expand these ideas of who I am as a teacher and who I want to be.
As part of a Tdt I took time to reflect on my pedagogy or my ‘Personal Philosophy of Teaching’ and I came up with this mind map: 
I believe in child led education where children learn through exploration and inquiry. I believe that it is my responsibility as a teacher to provide the children with creative lessons and authentic learning experiences that cater for them as individuals. I believe that all learning should be relevant and set in a context applicable to the children within my class. I believe that children should be in control of their learning and that by providing them with some ownership over their learning they will have a greater respect for us as teachers and for learning as a process. I think that parental involvement is a great tool and has a number of benefits to children and their learning. I think the same about outdoor learning as well as any opportunities the children get to explore their community or to bring the community into the classroom.
I am looking forward to reflecting on this philosophy as the semester goes on and following on from my placement within an IB school next semester. I am also attending an outdoor learning CLPL that will be helpful to me in terms of teaching ideas and approaches. By immersing myself in as many different perspectives of teaching as possible I hope to become an amalgamation of them all.
