Visual Art
Secondary Level Teacher Statement

As a teacher, my philosophy revolves around four core principles: equity, student-centered democratic learning, lifelong learning, and student personal growth. In my classroom, I will aim to foster an environment where students appreciate and practice the values of mutual respect, inclusivity, and open-mindedness, with an eager willingness to explore the unfamiliar. I will give students the necessary tools they will need to effectively and clearly articulate their own ideas, both in a visual and literal format, and the confidence to share these ideas with their peers and the wider community. In my classroom, critical thinking will be encouraged, seeking to develop students' mindset beyond the walls of the classroom, instilling lifelong curiosity and eagerness to learn, and to interrogate what they already know.

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Interrogating my own experience of primary, secondary, and third level teacher education has allowed me to gain valuable insights into the qualities of good classroom practice, with an emphasis on reflection, adaptation, and professionalism. My goal as a teacher is to consistently engage with reflective practice, with a dedication to developing quality teacher-student relationships, whole school and community collaborative approaches to improving teaching and learning in a post-modern society, where every voice matters.

 

My philosophy is influenced mainly by Waldorf educational theory, providing a foundation for my overall aims as a teacher. Waldorf education places a great emphasis on learning through experiences, and for students to cultivate their intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual capacities, to be individuals certain of their paths when they leave the school environment, with a knowledge of their personal role in the world. 

 

Therefore, as a teacher it is my responsibility to address the specific learning needs of each student to allow them to grow to see their full potential as young individuals. 

 

- Joshua van Gent