Editor’s Observe: This weblog submit is one in all a three-part sequence about easy methods to write a values-based educating philosophy. On this weblog submit, we (April Love and Laurel Hitchcock) supply a course of for figuring out your educating values. The second submit covers ideas for writing and presenting a values-based educating philosophy, and within the third submit, we share our personal values-based educating philosophies that resulted from this course of. This submit is cross-published on April’s Weblog – Genuine Curiosity: Navigating Nursing Education Now.
Having an articulated educating philosophy is an expectation in greater schooling, however writing a educating philosophy is tough work. It requires an educator to outline their skilled id in a manner that explains why and the way they educate. Moreover, right now’s educators are continuously requested to weigh in on numerous points, similar to when, how, and the way typically to make use of innovation for instruction, how a lot time must be targeted on content material versus reserved for versatile dialogue, and whether or not to make use of a conventional or flipped classroom mannequin, the place there’s no clear proper or flawed reply. And, as a result of the matters may be as numerous because the programs and college students we educate, it’s vital to have a values-based framework that may help your decision-making course of. Having a transparent understanding of your private values and, maybe extra importantly on this occasion, your educating values may help you navigate difficult or essential conversations by providing you with the language to specific your views and perceive their origin.
The method of getting to at least one’s educating philosophy is reflective, requiring time and deep fascinated about one’s beliefs associated to educating and studying. Figuring out one’s educating values presents an educator readability about what’s vital and significant, and makes it simpler to set and prioritize targets in addition to make selections by aligning these duties with one’s values. Not solely is the method extremely customized, so is the tip product. Whereas there is no such thing as a one proper method to discover one’s educating values, we have now tailored a typical method for figuring out values to deal with the practices of educating and studying.
Begin along with your first impression.
Evaluate this list of teaching value words. Take into consideration the occasions in your educating profession if you have been most impressed and energized. Which phrases soar out and resonate in your educating model or along with your scholar interactions? Which phrases stand out because the “gold customary” you’re trying to receive in your profession?
The purpose is to give you not more than 5 values that greatest describe the “roots” of your educating observe. The checklist will function your fence posts, providing you with an area to construct the remainder of your educating philosophy. You’ll be able to cross out phrases that don’t converse to your main values, circle phrases that do or use a mixture of annotations to assist kind by way of the various values.
Mirror, mirror, after which commit.
Don’t restrict your self to at least one session for this train. It may be overwhelming to attempt to slim down your priorities, particularly when the entire phrases have advantage and a spot in schooling. Do that train in an unpressured setting the place you may mirror with out stress or time constraints. Since you need these phrases to resonate persistently, attempt them out over just a few days or even weeks to see what sticks.
Within the first spherical, simply acknowledge any phrase that strikes a chord. Even take into account setting a timer in case you’re a type of individuals who prefer to dwell and mirror as you go. Let your intuition information you. Then, a day or so later – each time it’s handy to return to the train – take that narrowed checklist and do one other rapid-fire elimination spherical. What nonetheless speaks to you? What’s the loudest? What feels redundant? Now, you’re beginning to determine the themes.
Subsequent, choose 5 worth phrases that others would use to explain the way you educate. Contemplate the numerous views of your supervisors, your co-workers or group members, and – maybe most significantly – your college students. Examine the 2 lists, in search of similarities and variations. Contemplate reserving time to do that instantly following a educating session or scholar assembly, which provides you with current behaviors to carry towards your evolving checklist. With this new perception, did your beforehand recognized values change?
As a closing spherical, determine which 5 phrases mirror the way you wish to educate and have others describe the way you educate. Once more, evaluate along with your checklist and be aware any similarities. Are you already dwelling by the values you prioritized, or did you determine values you might be striving to attain? At this level, if you take a look at your checklist, it’s best to really feel a connection to it, an impression that means this describes who I’m and who I need to be as an educator.
Use it. Don’t lose it.
When you’ve recognized your values, or the “why” you do what you do, you can begin listening to how your educating values present up in your work. Your purpose right here is twofold; one is to substantiate and get comfy along with your newly recognized educating values, and two is to seek out concrete examples of the way you apply your educating values that may be integrated right into a educating philosophy assertion.
Begin by writing your educating values on a sticky be aware, in your planner, or in your cellular gadget. Hold them helpful so you may refer again to them as wanted. Don’t worry in case you can not keep in mind your educating values day-to-day. Being intentional about incorporating our values into our educating takes observe; it’ll get simpler with time.
Give your self an prolonged time period (just a few days, per week, or perhaps a month) to acknowledge and doc how your educating values present up in your course prep, class classes, and interactions with college students. Write down as many examples as you may. For instance, if one in all your core values is equity, you may be aware how this worth reveals up in your grading or throughout classroom discussions.
Should you beforehand wrote a educating philosophy, evaluate your values to the assertion by highlighting sentences or phrases that join along with your educating values. You may as well join your values to widespread educating practices, skilled moral codes to your self-discipline, or academic theories that you simply use or help your beliefs.
Throughout this time, you may also take into account the next questions:
- What are some present or previous examples of how your educating actions have aligned along with your educating values?
- What are the outcomes if you observe your educating values?
- What books or articles do you have to be studying that join along with your educating values?
- Who in your skilled life fashions your educating values?
- How do your values hook up with or tackle problems with fairness, inclusion, energy, and oppression that will play a job in educating and studying?
Should you discover that one in all your educating values will not be working for you, attempt to determine why or return to the checklist of educating values to see if one other worth is a greater match. Keep in mind, discovering and aligning our values is a means of reflection. Additional, it’s not unusual for values to alter over time, as we develop and mature in our work and educating. You may even repeat this course of a number of occasions in your profession.
You’ll know you might be completed with this course of when you could have readability along with your educating values and concrete examples or “proof” of the way you apply these values in your school rooms, along with your college students, and along with your friends. The following step is to rework your educating values and proof into statements and visible artifacts to share with others and align your future actions and selections along with your educating values. See the following weblog submit in our sequence about easy methods to write your values-based educating philosophy.
Learn how to cite:
Love, A.J. & Hitchcock, L.I. (2021, July 30). Learn how to outline your Educating Values. Educating and Studying in Social Work. https://laureliversonhitchcock.org/2021/07/30/how-to-define-your-teaching-values/.
