All photography collected from my travels, adventures, and work.
Philosophy of Education
“The value of any form of pedagogy should be judged by its capacity to preserve and promote creativity in use of knowledge…
‘Not to assist in storing the passive mind with the various sorts of knowledge most in request, as if the human were a mere repository… but to place it in such relations of circumstance as should gradually excite the germinal power that craves no knowledge but what it can take up into itself, what it can appropriate and reproduce in fruits of its own’
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I believe that all students can learn and I feel lucky every day to be a part of this process: to inspire and motivate inquiry, to absorb and savour the adventure of learning, and to perpetually direct myself and each student towards further growth. This creative and impressive journey demands two modes of operation, one that is technical and one that is relational.
"Autumn on the Moskva" by Cory Wannamaker - former colleague at AAS
Technically speaking, it is much easier to absorb the highlights of a journey when the plan is well designed. Starting with the end in mind, the teacher can make an incredible difference in student success by anticipating the roadblocks, obstacles, breathtaking views and thrilling landmarks. Understanding by design enables me to allocate time and resources for meaningful assessment, namely the formative assessments en route to the final destination, wherein students can reflect on their tactics and approaches for success. These moments permit for differentiated planning—success is achieved by individuals taking the appropriate path that matches their needs and interests.
Knowing the end point helps me scaffold the learning so that students can construct meaning, so that they immerse in complexity, so that there’s time for practice as well as time for retries when at first a task seemed too difficult to surmount. Often it takes looking more closely at specific data, statistics and feedback to make effective progress. Having experience in high altitude climbing and endurance sport, I understand that the right gear (familiarity with the best resources and technology for the task), the study of weather patterns (knowing when are students more likely to feel hooked by a particular task), the awesome views (setting aside time to admire progress and products), establishing extensive background knowledge on the topography (knowing the content and curriculum well), and, finally, the patience required when breathing at a higher atmosphere (advancing with flexibility and faith since the myriad variables cannot all be in my control) improves the potential for success. Such technicalities are better managed in the hands of a collaborative team. I believe students have much more powerful experiences when their learning is shaped and reflected on by a team of teachers, and when their parents and school leaders are informed regularly about their individual progress.
Socratic seminar on 1984. With effective guidance and planning, students can take the learning in their own hands.
The final technicality is to create opportunities for students to construct meaning. My role is to facilitate learning. I recognise that students engage when they have a compelling challenge or question that connects to their lives and when they believe they have the necessary skills to respond to that challenge (finding a state of flow).
Such self-confidence emerges in spaces that honour risk taking. Relationally speaking, the teacher’s responsibility and effectiveness depends on creating a safe, vibrant, and engaging setting for learning. Since the company and attitudes we have on a journey has immeasurable effect on the experience, I recognise that student achievement rests on building relationships and on creating a culture where learning is fun, mistakes are valued, expertise is validated.
JV Girls Basketball Team, CEESA tournament, 2014
Mistakes and risks lead to growth and excellence. Students need to believe they belong in the classroom and that their voices are valued. Students appreciate opportunities to contribute to the design of their journey and, in consequence, are more apt to invest in the assessment of their own progress. By simply taking time to nurture with warmth, empathy and enthusiasm, students feel that their participation matters. The classroom experience transforms from tedium towards innovation and inquiry. And if they feel safe, the power of the imagination can lead to profound synthesis.
Students performing and directing the first scene of Othello.
In general, I want students to love learning and to want to grow as scholars and citizens. As a language arts teacher, the learning lends itself to such profound exploration. By nature, I bring energy and vibrancy into each lesson and meeting. I believe that students must be active for learning to take place, and so movement, variety, and reflection on approaches to reading and writing are integrated with daily routines. I love this work!