Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sara Kohandel - Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Sara Kohandel - Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Sara Kohandel
As I near the end of the instructional portion of PSI, I have been confronted with the task
something that I have been ruminating over since ED2500, exploring in my journal reflections,
I know that I am not expected to hold on to one specific philosophy until the end of my
career, but it is difficult for me to commit to something for even one week. I am constantly
absorbing knowledge and ideas and practices from readings, my peers, my professors, and my
teaching associate. I don’t think I will ever stop expanding and exploring upon my teaching
philosophy; therefore, I am realizing that my teaching philosophy should go something like this:
a never-ending exploration of growth, maturation, and versatility in the classroom that serves to
inspire the teacher, the students, the parents, and the rest of the learning community in a
continual process of shared development. The expansive nature of my philosophy cannot be put,
succinctly, into one sentence; however, I wanted to stress the importance of it being a process
that is continual and malleable, one that benefits myself, my students, and every other part of the
For myself, my teaching philosophy means that I will engage with continual professional
development and career-long learning in an effort to establish a rich and professional body of
knowledge. This engagement is a process, not a one-off experience or a finite capacity for
improvement. Self-development takes place on a daily basis. Not only will I engage in
professional development opportunities within the learning community, I will engage actively
with self-reflection to better understand my process, my goals, my values, and the priorities of
my students.
For my students, I will ensure that I prioritize the fostering of effective relationships and
the establishment of inclusive learning environments. I want every student to feel safe, nurtured,
and comfortable enough in my classroom to engage with their curiosities and take risks—for
Last but certainly not least, I will engage with career-long learning, professional
environment to ensure that I am meeting the needs of my First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students.
I will do this by embedding Indigenous texts in my classes, holistic practices such as talking
circles, and engagement with the larger Indigenous community and its resources. Continuing to
educate myself and engaging with members of the Indigenous community will be vital.
Incorporating someone else’s culture into the classroom is a sensitive task that requires
deliberate action and consideration. I will do my best to reconcile the terrible experiences of
Indigenous families with the Canadian education system by welcoming all parents to take an
cannot always be accurate and up-to-date in my academic knowledge but I can be humble and
admit when I need to learn. I cannot always be a friend to every student, but I can be there for
them whenever they need. I cannot always be perfect, but I can continue to work on myself to be
the best teacher for my students through never-ending self-development and reflection.