Modified Philosophy of Ed. (2017)

See the following as my most recent philosophy, 

Carmelo S.J. Bono’s Statement to Philosophy of Education and Pedagogy (c. 2022)

To Whom it May Concern,

              Being a person of faith (Catholic), my values strongly surround the beatitudes and principles that are reflected in the ten commandments. Law is law, no matter where in the world one may be, and to say one does not know, is bliss. As a teacher, I take a stand in the things I do and say to/for my students as an advocate. The responsibility to act as a care provider during a field trip or class time is not a responsibility I take lightly.

              Students are the future of the world; they are going to be the doctors who we go to when sick; the policy makers who decide whether or not taxes go up or down; our students are some of the most important people in society. I do not believe in handing out answers, but building opportunities for learning through supporting students through their signature strengths.

              While studying to become a teacher, a document “Growing Success” was considered the most sacred educational document in Ontario as it offered guidance through a crucial shift in assessment and evaluation of Ontario’s practices in education. Students are not eligible to score a zero, unless the course ends and nothing is handed in, but every student deserves an opportunity to succeed and surpass their expectations of their abilities. Ontario asks teachers to focus their practices on assessments for learning rather than of learning in order to support growth mindsets in classrooms. Students are not expected to be held back. If a student is “held back”, it means the teacher failed somewhere along the line, or the supports are not in place at a school to offer the accommodation needed to support that student’s learning difficulties. I spent so many years teaching abroad with the British Columbia Curriculum because of the adjustments it made on a provincial level to accommodate learners who come from different cultures. I wanted to be apart of that change witness first hand how far that change could branch out. The high stakes provincial exams were disheartening to overseas students (to say the least) because of the disconnect of cultural references students would be exposed to on an exam.

              As a classroom teacher I teach to success. Working with students to build writing skills, critical thinking competencies and reading abilities are some the ways I know I can help them achieve their goals in an academic English classroom. In some cases though a teacher needs to be able to work with students by listening to them and acknowledging their concerns. My strategies to enhance critical thinking apply to active learning models such as cooking with students in kitchens (using English as well as comprehension skills); participating in school showcase events with materials that are specific to the engagement of the student body in a related topic/subject area; as well as classroom communal learning in say “murder mystery”.

              A teacher is not only a teacher though, I where many hats. I offer post-secondary education advice to my students (as a portion of rapport), when discussing progress and or goals of their learning; coaching advice on sports teams (Ball Hockey and Volleyball most notably); as well as support in areas of interest such as comic book clubs and charity fundraisers. I offer my evenings to school events while trying to balance my family life. I sacrifice my body and spirit for the sake of my student’s education continual participation in “Teacher Pi Day”, “Movember’s Shave a Teacher Day” and “Three Time Champion of the Charity Show’s Eating Contest” (That has been Jiaozi and Baozi-no hot dogs fortunately).

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The Differences Made (c. 2017)

Students are just as much teachers as teachers are themselves; there is a lot to learn from them as they have a lot to learn from us. A teacher needs to be more than just experienced, well read, and well mannered. There is a  need to be motivated, is very important for teachers because even though a teacher may want to make progress and see the difference made, they may not see the progress. “The burden of learning falls on the shoulders of the teacher just as much as it does on the student”, is what we would like to think. The reality is that we need to differentiate to the learning styles of our students. As a teacher you learn there are two types of progress, internal and external. Growth refers to more than just intellectual advancement but also refers to social growth. I want to experience the same sense of pride about my future students as my family, friends and teachers have felt about me.

Learning includes more than just students who can remember endless amounts of information; there will be students who need more elaboration and engagement on topics. As a teacher I want to provide my students with the learning styles that are most suitable for them based on their needs. Differentiated instruction and assessment as, of, and for are two important tools that a prepared teacher always has in their toolbox. Rote learning fails to drive the expectation that the lesson is trying to foster into the long term memory of students. Establishing a working routine of respect, care and communal learning in the classroom is essential to a successful classroom. The biggest reason for this is that it is usually not engaging enough to simply have an impersonal classroom in which students feel they are isolated based on their learning needs; developing a love of knowledge as a teacher and sharing that with your students in various ways is important.

As a student, learning at times is dry. Other times learning keeps me believing (in the time of my education) that if  not for the purpose of my own success in life, I can share my experiences and knowledge to enrich the lives of others. Everyone experiences this apathy in learning at one point or another while a student; people understand it as a norm. I honestly think there are ways to minimize this. I intend to put everything that I can into my lessons to ensure that I have done all I can to inspire the fullest ambitions of my students. I vow to engage my students in every aspect of the lesson to ensure that they are not shown anything less than exactly what they need to succeed and beyond.

Students respond to engaged and passionate behaviours because they crave that feeling of approval. A teacher who can inspire youth to engage themselves and become an active learner, is a teacher who has discovered the difference between a good and a great teacher. They are trying to find their calling; as teachers it is our job to give them a map of every possible route. Our lessons should be making them take their pencil to their life map and sketching out their possible journeys ahead after each word spoken to them.

My philosophy in regards to teaching and learning is based on respect, similarly to what the “Leadereship in Learning Communities” section of OCT’s Foundations of Professional Practice (Aug. 2016) in which it describes of understanding their responsibility to the students and a healthy learning community. In my classroom I try my absolute best to keep these simple expectations alive and well, “respect the rules of the classroom, respect me, respect your peers but most of all, yourself”. The classroom is a place where more than just academic learning occurs. A great deal of things  taught, are social skills and societal expectations. I remember when I was in grade seven, I had a teacher who had all the boys out of the class (including myself) going home and sharing with their parents an interesting fact that they were taught by him that day. I did not realize I did this until one day I was on the bus heading home from school when one other student from a different class was insulting the teacher I had. Another student in my class was a brother to this boy and began agreeing with him. The older boy turned to his brother and said to him “Ya right! You love that teacher! Guys, this kid comes home and tells my mom, Mr… says this, and says that. Don’t lie.” I was nervous to say anything to these older boys until I knew that I was not the only one who felt this way about the teacher. I stood up and declared myself as a fan of this teacher as well. The other student and I were ridiculed but the fact that a teacher could make a “cool student” feel like a student in grade 3 coming home with such fascination for  knowledge again; speaks a lot to their ability to inspire wonder and awe.

This is the type of teacher I strive to be; the teacher who has students that want to be given assignments that requires them to research and inquire more. Students who want to learn more, are students who are successful students. An individual’s success does not reflect the teacher themselves but the environment that teacher was able to create that inspired the student to do so well.