I didn’t know I wanted to teach until I began working 1:1 with children with special needs at The Boys & Girls Club of London (BGCL.) When I began working at BGCL, I worked with a child who challenged me. I have a great sense of love and care for him. His mother wrote me a card where she remarked how I “never gave up on him.” I think all students need an adult who won’t give up on their education, and I think I can be that adult. So, I think my passion and love for teaching children is why I decided to teach. My experience and passion for a child’s future align with the OCT’s ethics for teachers. Caring is one of the four ethical standards teachers must possess; the OCT states that: “the ethical standard of Care includes compassion, acceptance, interest and insight for developing students’ potential.” Students not only deserve but need to have a teacher who cares for them. Someone with high expectations because they love them and know they can do better to have the best future possible. When students feel cared for, they feel proud of the diversity they bring to the classroom and are empowered to follow these expectations while also feeling proud of their identity.

The purpose of education is to empower students’ achievement. Not all students come from families with the time, energy, or resources to dedicate to their child’s learning. Ideally, education empowers these students. Education gives students a core knowledge base, aids in their social development, and provides meaningful and diverse experiences that enable them to enter the world confidently. Success may not look the same for every child, but after receiving a public education, children should ideally feel empowered to make informed choices about their futures and who they want to be. Knowledge is power. Knowing how to read, mathematical reasoning, how to move your body, the history of our country, etc., gives us more choices on not only the career we want to pursue but also freedom to choose our interests, passions, and other aspects of our identity. Learning is the process of obtaining knowledge. The knowledge an individual gains may be about social-emotional strategies, an interest, how to sound out a new word,etc., Knowledge gained may not be explicitly taught but learning is the freedom of choosing what knowledge to gain from a lesson. The student chooses what is worth knowing because it differs among everyone. My philosophy of education connects to the OCT’s standards of care. As OCT members, we must be committed to student learning. This standard of practice states that teachers “treat students equitably and with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual student learning. Members facilitate the development of students as contributing citizens of Canadian society.” Knowledge is how students develop into contributing citizens of Canadian society. I am committed to students learning, regardless of their home life. I want all children to grow up and be empowered. I want all children to be free to choose their future, irrespective of the origin of their story.

We can always learn to be better teachers for our students. As OCT members, we are committed to professional learning because it “is integral to effective practice and to student learning.” My passion for students’ success motivates me to grow as a teacher. I may not have begun my journey of effectively managing a classroom, but I have stayed committed to learning. My teacher identity has changed since I started teacher’s college. For example, I saw the teacher deciding what knowledge is essential. Now, I think that teachers must conduct their lessons so that students from different backgrounds, abilities, etc., can gain something unique from each lesson. I expect it to continue to evolve as I encounter other children who challenge me and change my life. I expect the students to teach me about my teaching identity, and since I’ve just started my teaching journey, I expect them to continue changing how I teach. These moments are why I will make decisions like running clubs at my future schools, spending 1:1 time with children at recess, and crafting my lessons to follow UDL principles. It changes how I talk to my students, my outward display of care for them, and how I motivate them. It changes the type of neighbourhoods and communities I want to teach. It changes how much I value having children feel included and like their culture is represented in my classroom. One child’s story can change my whole view on teaching.