PERSONAL PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH
I believe that each and every child in the classrooms that I teach in school be supported and encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of the economic, social, religious or cultural backgrounds, by the same token I will also strive to ensure that every child feels as though they belong and that their personal values, beliefs and cultural connections are important, respected and understood.
In regard to engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families I feel that it is vital to create respectful and collaborative relationships that focus on developing a child’s potential both within and outside of the educational setting. In order for educational outcomes for Indigenous students to improve there must be a larger emphasis placed upon incorporating cultural identity and heritage into the classroom, and stop treating them as two separate entities. I believe that we should work with families to find ways the school based learning and cultural education can be intertwined. Children should have the opportunity to create a positive image of themselves and understand their place in the communities that they live in (Bibby, 2009). Involving Indigenous leaders in both policy and curriculum decisions may be beneficial in engaging Indigenous learners. Every child has the ‘equal right to education and the capacity to profit from it’ (Pound, 2011, p.9). This means that the needs of every child must be acknowledged and planning should be based upon achieving these outcomes. No child’s needs or learning requirements should be overlooked or ignored. I will also strive to create an environment in which students can be as involved in their culture as they choose, allowing them to either engage and involve aspects of their culture in their learning or be less connected with their cultural heritage within the classroom. It is important not to expect a student to engage with cultural traditions or beliefs just because they identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Teaching in a Victorian school it is likely that the Indigenous students I teach will have a small Aboriginal community around them, being able to invite the community into my classroom may be beneficial to the students learning outcomes. Following students’ interests and allowing them to have an active voice within the design of their own education will be a priority.
When teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content, it is important to treat the focus with respect. This means that as an educator I must find appropriate resources and not teach content that is beyond my understanding. As a non-Indigenous teacher it is my role to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture acknowledging to my students that there are other people who are more knowledgeable in these areas. Where possible I would have Indigenous elders and leaders from the community collaborate with me to incorporate Indigenous culture into my curriculum. ‘It is time for doing things “with” Indigenous communities and not “to” Indigenous communities (Price, 2012). One goal that I will strive for as a graduate teacher is to develop positive relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community around the school community, this is to ensure that I can adequately support the Indigenous students in my classroom and appropriately include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.
In regard to engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families I feel that it is vital to create respectful and collaborative relationships that focus on developing a child’s potential both within and outside of the educational setting. In order for educational outcomes for Indigenous students to improve there must be a larger emphasis placed upon incorporating cultural identity and heritage into the classroom, and stop treating them as two separate entities. I believe that we should work with families to find ways the school based learning and cultural education can be intertwined. Children should have the opportunity to create a positive image of themselves and understand their place in the communities that they live in (Bibby, 2009). Involving Indigenous leaders in both policy and curriculum decisions may be beneficial in engaging Indigenous learners. Every child has the ‘equal right to education and the capacity to profit from it’ (Pound, 2011, p.9). This means that the needs of every child must be acknowledged and planning should be based upon achieving these outcomes. No child’s needs or learning requirements should be overlooked or ignored. I will also strive to create an environment in which students can be as involved in their culture as they choose, allowing them to either engage and involve aspects of their culture in their learning or be less connected with their cultural heritage within the classroom. It is important not to expect a student to engage with cultural traditions or beliefs just because they identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Teaching in a Victorian school it is likely that the Indigenous students I teach will have a small Aboriginal community around them, being able to invite the community into my classroom may be beneficial to the students learning outcomes. Following students’ interests and allowing them to have an active voice within the design of their own education will be a priority.
When teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content, it is important to treat the focus with respect. This means that as an educator I must find appropriate resources and not teach content that is beyond my understanding. As a non-Indigenous teacher it is my role to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture acknowledging to my students that there are other people who are more knowledgeable in these areas. Where possible I would have Indigenous elders and leaders from the community collaborate with me to incorporate Indigenous culture into my curriculum. ‘It is time for doing things “with” Indigenous communities and not “to” Indigenous communities (Price, 2012). One goal that I will strive for as a graduate teacher is to develop positive relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community around the school community, this is to ensure that I can adequately support the Indigenous students in my classroom and appropriately include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.