Teaching
Statement
I use the
principles of Ignatian Pedagogy to inform and
transform learning and teaching. These principles
suggest that educators provide students with
learning experiences and opportunities that
facilitate close collaboration, critical
reflection, and the mutual sharing of experiences.
By engaging students in experiences that connect
with their lives, my intent is to help students
find ways of developing their own epistemological
questions and answers. I believe that when teaching
for the common good of children, teachers must go
beyond a curiosity level of reflection on thought.
I argue that we need to become more conscious of
our practices in deeds and actions. I attempt to
assist students in understanding this position and
others by sharing lived-experiences through stories
and poems.
In my courses a
Vygotskian approach is applied to many of the
pedagogical activities. Using this approach, in
which there is active co-learning, and joint
problem solving, the students and I create learning
communities. Within these communities students use
the experiences that they bring to the course to
develop critical perspectives, concerning how
children and adolescents learn and understand
mathematics. I believe that prospective teachers
should be given many opportunities to create and
participate in technology, manipulatives,
assessment, and culturally relevant activities.
Many of the activities are collaboratively
structured, highly interactive, and require
thoughtful reflection on issues regarding teaching,
learning, and assessing mathematical skills,
concepts, and ideas.
I am concerned
with how to transform learning environments into
highly interactive contexts that support and assist
teachers in developing understanding of children
learning and development. The challenge is to weave
Vygotsky's ideas with teachers' practical
activities, connecting their experiences to
professional development. This conjoining of theory
and practice provides a framework for teachers to
conceptualize mathematical learning from a more
personal and critical perspective.
In addition, I
consider myself to be a lifelong learner and
believe that to enhance my pedagogical practices
require collaborating with colleagues across
boundaries.
The
interrelatedness of Ignatian Pedagogy and social
justice has supported my belief that the focus of
my teaching should be upon the development of the
whole person, not just the intellect. Vygotsky's
work has assisted me in the development of
pedagogical practices that are designed to enhance
learning experiences or opportunities for
supporting the prospective or practicing teacher's
development as a whole person.
Reference
Vygotsky, L. S.
(1978). Mind in society: The development of
higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University.
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