1. My philosophy of education is that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational
environment where they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is my desire to
create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. I will provide a safe
environment where students are invited to share their ideas and take risks.
"I believe that there are five essential elements that are conducive to learning. (1) The teacher's role is
to act as a guide. (2) Students must have access to hands-on activities. (3) Students should be able to
have choices and let their curiosity direct their learning. (4) Students need the opportunity to practice
skills in a safe environment. (5) Technology must be incorporated into the school day."
Sample 2
I believe that all children are unique and have something special that they can bring to their own
education. I will assist my students to express themselves and accept themselves for who they are, as
well embrace the differences of others.
"Every classroom has its own unique community; my role as the teacher will be to assist each child in
developing their own potential and learning styles. I will present a curriculum that will incorporate each
different learning style, as well as make the content relevant to the students' lives. I will incorporate
hands-on learning, cooperative learning, projects, themes, and individual work that engage and activate
students learning."
"I believe that a teacher is morally obligated to enter the classroom with only the highest of
expectations for each and every one of her students. Thus, the teacher maximizes the positive benefits
that naturally come along with any self-fulfilling prophecy. With dedication, perseverance, and hard
work, her students will rise to the occasion."
"I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high expectations to the classroom each day. I
believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the community, to bring consistency, diligence, and
warmth to my job in the hope that I can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the children as
well."
"I believe that a classroom should be a safe, caring community where children are free to speak their
mind and blossom and grow. I will use strategies to ensure our classroom community will flourish, like
the morning meeting, positive vs. negative discipline, classroom jobs, and problem-solving skills.
"Teaching is a process of learning from your students, colleagues, parents, and the community. This is a
lifelong process where you learn new strategies, new ideas, and new philosophies. Over time, my
educational philosophy may change, and that's okay. That just means that I have grown and learned
new things."
2. What is culturally responsive teaching?
It’s much more than just recognizing your students’ cultural background (although that’s a good start).
Culturally responsive teaching, or cultural intelligence in education, helps create a learning environment
that is engaging and accessible to a broader range of students.
As a teacher in today’s multicultural classroom, fostering culturally responsive teaching practices is
becoming more and more necessary.
Figuring out how to meet the diverse needs of students with differing economic and cultural
backgrounds, not to mention varying learning styles, has become a top priority for educators.
Teachers need to have cultural knowledge. You should try to understand achievement gaps as well as
cultural and linguistic differences.
Increasing your understanding will help you resolve potential cultural differences between students in
the classroom.
To become a more culturally responsive teacher you should:
Assess your own behavior.It’s important to recognize that your own culture influences your attitudes
Get to know your students.Be proactive when it comes to learning about the different cultural
backgrounds of the students in your classroom. Do your research, either online or by talking to your
teaching colleagues.
As a teacher, you cannot create a culturally responsive classroom if you don’t take the time to get to
know your students as individuals
Make your classroom a judgment-free zone.Students must be able to look at situations regarding culture
with an unbiased opinion and be comfortable asking questions to further their understanding.
If a conversation arises about a current event or behavior, welcome a discussion. But be sure the
conversation is directed towards learning, not criticizing.
Encourage students to ask questions and challenge the status quo. Make critical thinking the norm and
teach your students to value each other’s differences.
Adapt your teaching practices.Culturally responsive teaching is a student-focused approach.
It identifies the differences between students and the unique strengths of each child to encourage their
academic achievement and a sense of belonging in the classroom.
Teach for all cultures.Choose content that reflects the different cultures of your students in your lessons.
Lessons should incorporate multicultural information and approaches whenever possible.
Suppose a teacher only references people from a specific cultural background or ethnicity exclusively inclass examples. In that case, students may feel that their cultural background is being excluded and may
feel disengaged.
Fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education and taking a culturally responsive
approach to teaching benefits all students. Not only does creating greater multicultural awareness and
inclusion help students with different backgrounds and needs succeed, but it encourages acceptance
and helps prepare students to thrive in an exponentially diverse world. Diversity in and out of the
classroom will continue to grow, so it’s essential we prepare students to adapt to an evolving world and
embrace those different from themselves
It is important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom
and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term. Teaching diversity exposes students
to various cultural and social groups, preparing students to become better citizens in their communities.
These culturally responsive teaching strategies will help you to promote diversity in the classroom.
Gender awareness is more analytical and critical since it clarifies issues about gender disparities and
gender issues. It pertains to one’s effort to show how gender shapes the role of women and men in
society including their role in development and how it affects relations between them. Our education
system needs to be gender sensitive and gender friendly. One of the best possible strategies to minimise
gender discrimination in society is to promote gender awareness at all levels of society.
Teachers play a very important role in the early upbringing of a child. Their idea and beliefs can change
the thought processes of young children. Children in the formative years easily nurture values and
virtues taught to them. Gender sensitivity training should be mandatory for teachers. The training will
enable them to disseminate the desirable attitude based on mutual respect and trust between girls and
boys.
We all know that the teachers sometimes “inadvertently” make disparaging remarks about capabilities
or characteristics of either gender, so we need to cope with knowledge, attitude, skills and
methodologies that promote gender equality.
Classrooms need to be gender sensitive. We have to take care of few do’s and don’ts for making
classroom interaction gender sensitive.
Encourage both males and females to be class leaders (perhaps one of each sex). Appoint two monitors
in each classroom, a boy and a girl
Address and call on girls and boys equally. Do not segregate boys and girls in the classroom in primary
classes
Make mixes groups for group activities and games
Try to ‘switch role’ for breaking down gender barriers and stereotyping of gender roles
Make both boys and girls share activities like cleaning, moving furniture, to the chalkboard during a
lesson.
Plan and conduct activities that give opportunity to all children accepting one another as equals
Academic contents with lessons on gender sensitivity and moral traditions will unconsciously mould the
character of the tender mind. It is time to transform all text reading materials and books which should
be free of notion of gender equality as bias is embedded in textbooks and lessons.
The presence of diversity in the classroom allows students to consider perspectives and opinions beyond
those they’ve already formed or were shaped in early life by family and friends. By presenting students
with viewpoints far different from their own, it gives them the opportunity to think critically about their
own beliefs and examine the world in fresh ways. As noted by an article in Scientific American, exposure
to diversity alters the way individuals think by promoting creativity and innovation, as well as decisionmaking and problem-solving skills. As the article summarizes, “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in
ways that homogeneity simply does not.”
5. Your viewpoint
A 21st century viewpoint includes teachers right across the K-12 spectrum. While things technological
are not critical in the formative, early years, empowering children to discover and to learn most certainly
is.
Teach children that they are part of a global community.
Teach children to appreciate diversity in all its aspects.
Teach children to be tolerant.
Teach children to be aware of the many societies and civilizations which came before them.
Teach children to be sensitive to the environment.
Teach children the importance of nutrition, exercise and health.
Teach children to appreciate the arts.
Teach children to think critically.
Teach children to think analytically.
Teach children to think creatively.
Your skill sets
The 21st century teacher needs to be a digital native. While older teachers will inevitably be digital
immigrants, at the very least they must be willing to adapt and change to presenting their subjects in
new ways. Modern living in the 21st century is internet based. We get our information direct from the
source. Knowing how to manage RSS feeds, Google and all the other electronic gadgets at our disposal
and as yet undreamed of is an important skill for any 21st century teacher to have. The follow short
video gives you an idea of what is involved.
The 21st century teacher needs to be able to filter news and information. Decades ago we could listen
to Walter Cronkite and know all we thought we needed to know. Now news and information comes at
us like a veritable electronic blizzard. Before we can teach our students how to filter all this data, we
must know how to filter it efficiently ourselves.
While discovery in the primary grades is mostly centered on the immediate world around a child, a
young adult discovers in another way as well. The ubiquitous search engine is his tool for discovery.
Unfortunately, unless the 21st century teacher understands how to write a good search string and how
to filter search engine results, he will be unable to teach the young adult how to do the same. Sifting
through all the data and making sense of it is a critical skill every middle and high school student needs
to have.
Where are our 21st century Euclids and Einsteins? The sad truth is that they are out there just waiting to
be empowered. But as long as society glorifies athletes and entertainers with enormous earnings and
constant adulation, then why on earth would any young person want to grapple with solving the Fermat
Theorem? The 21st century teacher understands this and provides the example, the role models and the
encouragement needed to nurture and mold the scientists, mathematicians and engineers our country
so desperately needs.
Conclusion
If you have read this far, you will see how over the decades, indeed over the centuries, the teacher's role
has not changed very much at all. Teachers still encourage and empower, guide and shape young minds.
Lighting the fires of learning and discovery will always be what a good teacher does. The difference for
the 21st century teacher is that she must adapt her skill set to suit the needs and exigencies of the
present, not the past. If she and thousands of her colleagues can do that, our great nation will continue
to lead, not follow.
That is why it is so important for you to be a 21st century teacher. You hold the power to make a
difference. You really do. And when you, the school and parents commit to producing well-rounded,
knowledgeable, tolerant graduates, great things will happen.
They're Adaptive
They are able to adapt to whatever comes there way. Being a teacher in today's world means that you
have to adapt to the ever-changing tools and changes that are being implemented in the schools.
Smartboards are replacing chalkboards and tablets are replacing textbooks and a 21st-century teacher
needs to be okay with that.
Lifelong Learners
These educators don't just expect their students to be a lifelong learner, but they are as well. They stay
up-to-date with current educational trends and technology and know how to tweak their old lesson
plans from years before to make them more current.
Are Tech Savvy
Technology is changing at a rapid pace and that means that a 21st-century teacher is right along for the
ride. The latest technology, whether it's for lessons or grading, will allow the teacher and student to be
able to learn better and faster. An effective teacher knows that learning about the latest gadget can
truly transform their students' education, so they are not just current on the new trends, but really
know how to master them.
Know How to Collaborate
An effective 21st-century educator must be able to collaborate and work well within a team. Over the
past decade, this important skill has grown quite rapidly in schools. Learning is deemed to be more
effective when you can share your ideas and knowledge with others. Sharing your expertise and
experience, and communicating and learning from others is an important part of the learning and
teaching process.
Are Forward Thinking
An effective 21st-century educator thinks about their students' future and is aware of the career
opportunities that may arise from them. They are always planning to ensure that no child gets left
behind so they focus on preparing today's children for what's to come in the future.
Are Advocates for the Profession
They are an advocate not only for their students but their profession. Today's teachers are being
watched with a close eye because of all of the changes in curriculum and the Common Core. Instead of
sitting back, a 21st-century teacher takes a stand for their themselves and their profession. They pay
close attention to what is going on in education and they address these issues head-on.
They also advocate for their students. Today's classrooms are filled with children who need someone to
look out for them, give them advice, encouragement, and a listening ear. Effective teachers share their
knowledge and expertise and act as a role model for their students.
21st-century teaching means teaching as you have always taught but with today's tools and technology.
It means utilizing everything that is important in today's world so that students will be able to live and
prosper in today's economy, as well as having the ability to guide students and to prepare them for the
future.
What does it mean to be a 21st Century Teacher? These are the characteristics of a 21st Century
Teacher:
Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity so that all students achieve in the global society.
Enable students to maximize the potential of their formal and informal learning experiences.
Facilitate learning in multiple modalities.
Work as effective members of learning teams.
Use the full range of digital-age tools to improve student engagement and achievement.
Work with their students to co-create new learning opportunities.
Use data to support student learning and program improvements.
Be lifelong learners.
Be global educators.
Work with policy leaders as change agents
6. Characteristics of effective learning outcomes
To make your assessment decisions easier, ensure that these three principles are represented in the
outcomes for your course.
Specificity
There is a fine balance between too generic and overly specific. Consider an outcome related to writing:
By the end of the course, a student should be able to write an essay.
Unless this outcome is for an introductory composition course, the problem with write an essay is that it
is too vague to be easily assessable. This learning outcome is not connected to the desired analytical
skills you may want students to demonstrate in their essays or to the content of the course.
At the same time, it is possible to be too specific:
Summarize War and Peace in a 5-page essay
The specificity of this outcome makes it rather rigid for a course-level outcome; it would be more
appropriate as part of an assignment description. Again, what do you actually want students to be able
to do? Could they achieve the intended outcome if the essay were based on a different book? Is the 5-
page essay a critical component of assessment? Are there other ways to accomplish the writing task
other than through an essay?
To improve this outcome statement, consider what your students need to achieve in the course. Are
they expected to simply comprehend the text or do they need to analyze it? Perhaps the focus is on the
skill of developing an argument in an essay and the text to be analysed is a secondary component. Here
is a more specific outcome that emphasises analysis rather than writing:
Appraise character development in 19th century Russian literature
The wording of ILOs is also important to consider: action verbs such as write, summarize, and appraise
connect to clearer learning behaviours than understand or know. Specific learning outcomes help
students to make sense of the kinds of learning they need to demonstrate in a course as well as help you
to streamline your course design.
Attainability
An attainable outcome describes a realistic expectation of your students. For example, first-year
accounting students would not be required to analyze a complex tax case study because they would not
have the needed prerequisite knowledge. Similarly, engineering or math students would not study
differential equations before they have completed first-year calculus. In both cases, a fairly linear
progression through the program’s curriculum is required. In other disciplines, the content might not
change as much as the required learning activity. Consider the review of journal articles by second-year
students and master’s students. While the second-year student might be expected to find credible
sources within the discipline, the master’s student is expected to critically evaluate those articles. It is
valuable to understand where your course fits into the broader curriculum to assist with identifying
what your students can reasonably achieve.
When writing outcomes, Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) is a useful tool in defining the level that students
need to attain. Bloom and his colleagues divided learning into three domains: cognitive, psychomotor,
and affective. Today, we expand psychomotor to include a broad range of skills (e.g., problem-solving,
critical thinking, communication, etc.).
Within each domain, a learning hierarchy demonstrates the increasing complexity associated with
learning. In the cognitive domain, for example, there are six levels: knowledge, comprehension,
application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In 2001, Anderson and Krathwohl modified the original
hierarchy suggesting, for example, that creating something requires a higher level of thinking than
evaluating someone else’s creation. The resulting cognitive domain hierarchy is presented in Table 1.
Measurability
ILOs must be measurable. You need to evaluate whether — and how well — each requirement has been
fulfilled. Each ILO, then, needs to relate to particular assessment questions or activities as a means of
collecting evidence of learning. Using an alignment table or matrix can help you to determine whether
all ILOs are assessed in your course.
Specificity can also assist with measurement. For example, if an ILO indicates that students will
understand electrical circuits, how might that be measured? Should they be able to build and test a
circuit or simply draw a diagram of one? The actual learning that is to be assessed is not very clear from
a vague ILO statement. Identifying the assessments that you want to use can help you to sharpen your
ILOs.
Given that ILOs can relate to different learning domains and different levels within those domains, they
are not all equally easy to measure. Some types of ILOs are straightforward to measure (e.g., those on
the lower end of the cognitive domain or specific behaviours in the psychomotor domain). For example,
measurement is clear when assessments have right versus wrong answers. In math, students can
demonstrate their ability to apply certain equations through assignment or test questions; they get
marks when they are correct and no marks when they are not. However, not all ILOs are so easily
assessable. An ILO that asks students to analyze a text according to a particular theory of literary
criticism may be assessed via an analytical paper or seminar presentation, but there is not one optimal
end product. In such cases it is typically possible to create criteria for a rubric that can be used to assess
how well the various criteria have been met.
Measuring outcomes that look for changes in attitudes or values rather than specific behaviours can be
even more challenging. These ILOs typically stem from the affective domain. It may be more productive
to think of what evidence can be collected as indicators of a change than to focus on measurement. For
example, what evidence could you collect to demonstrate that the following outcomes have been met:
Appreciate works of art from the 20th century
Value lifelong learning in their profession
Question the impact of socioeconomic status in relation to access to higher education
In the lifelong learning example, if a student researches continuing education courses and makes a
professional development plan for the future, this could demonstrate that they see value in lifelong
learning. Journaling or other types of learning documents like ePortfolios may provide students with a
means to explain or show changes in how or what they think. They are not guarantees of a change, but
they can capture reasonably robust indicators of learning. As ILOs become less concrete, direct
measurement becomes more challenging. Again, developing rubrics that identify key characteristics of
new or changed values or approaches to thinking can help to assess such ILOs.