Ma philosophie d'enseignement / My teaching beliefs
My decision to become a teacher was easy. I have always loved to teach people. I recall helping my sister learning how to read and write when she was five or six years old. I would give her dictations, and help her with using textbooks. Later, when I was 15 years old, I was a summer camp instructor. I was in charge of young campers (10 to 12 years old). I loved doing activities with them and making sure they enjoyed their stay. Finally, from 2006 till 2009, I was a professional athlete (Freestyle skiing) and in 2007, it gave me the opportunity to coach a female performance camp for the Quebec freestyle ski team. It was nice to share my knowledge with young athletes, and also to find different personalized ways so that each girl could learn something, depending on their levels and abilities. I enjoyed seeing the athletes’ faces filled with pride when they got what I was trying to say. This is how I want my classroom to be: Me, helping students discover their passion and what motivates them in life.
When I think of my teaching beliefs, I link it to my experience as an athlete because it has very similar settings. Skiing is an individual sport, but you always interact and train with a group of athletes. You work individually and you have your personal goals, but you also work in groups because it builds different skills (social skills, fitness training). Everyone learns at a different pace, and everyone has preferences on how to learn. Coaches have to come up with an individualized plan of training for every athlete. Athletes participate actively in the decision-making process, as it is ultimately their actions that will determine what they accomplish in their skiing career. I believe that a teacher should be all that: promote different strategies of teaching for different kind of learners, respect the different paces of learning and include the students as an active participant in their learning.
You can also compare a group of Canadian athletes to a classroom. Everyone comes from different parts of Canada, and therefore, has different background. When you meet your teammate, you set up rules so that everyone can live in harmony. Respect is the main determinant of a successful situation. You give your teammate feedback when something is not working for you, and you create the space for your teammate to do the same in return. You respect your coaches because you know they are doing the best they can for you. They care for you. Again, I believe that these characteristics are important to be a teacher. You need to be a facilitator of learning, but not a dictator. You need to be attentive to a student’s needs, and set rules with them.
The characteristics of an athlete can translate into ones of an effective teacher. When you are an athlete, you travel to different places either for training or for competing. You need to learn to adapt to different times, to different cultures, and to different circumstances. On the competition day, the weather might be extremely different from when you trained. It is the same for a teacher in a classroom. Everyday will be different and an effective teacher knows how to adapt the lesson plans on the spot, and depending on circumstances and students’ needs. After your competition, as an athlete, you reflect on what went well and what needs improvement. You think to yourself, you talk to your coaches, you watch videos of your runs. An effective teacher does the same. After a class, you need to reflect on the positive aspects, but also on the areas of opportunity. Also, instead of talking to a coach, you need to get involved with other teachers, with the parents, and with the community. They will give you ideas and feedback on what works for the students and you can adjust to give the students the best learning experience.
As an athlete, you experience failures often. You learn quickly that failures are a part of the process, and that they make you stronger. You can link this aspect to a language classroom. Students will make mistakes when practicing the oral, listening, and writing areas of a language. As a teacher, I want to create a space where students feel comfortable making mistakes, and that will help them learn the language even better.
I had the opportunity to travel to many different places and see the importance of speaking multiple languages. This is why I want to teach French and Spanish. I believe in the power of languages. I do not only want students to learn a language, but I want them to realize what it signifies. It is not only a language. It is a culture; it is a different point of view; it is a different background; it is a different worldview. I would like my students to become avid learners of other cultures, and explorers of new and different things.
My life experiences have helped me realize what it takes to be an effective teacher and to foster a safe and respectful environment within a community. I want students to come out of school feeling inspired, and driven by their passions and goals in life.