My name is Michael Harb, I am a 21 year old male who is currently enrolled in my third year of a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). I previously graduated from Marist Catholic College Penshurst in 2016, completing my HSC in the same year. During my time at ACU I have had numerous opportunities to develop the necessary skills for being a capable teacher. These opportunities presented themselves during semester and were closely linked with not only course content but to the required skills and attributes needed to excel as a teacher. These units have allowed me to develop methods of differentiating for students needs as well as maintaining a healthy and positive classroom environment. Throughout my time at ACU, there has been a significant emphasis on ensuring students are safe and relaxed in the classroom, in order to foster positive learning and behaviours. It is through this emphasis that I feel I am able to successfully incorporate the appropriate models and methods in the classroom. I also have had the opportunity to develop my leadership and people skills at my part-time job managing a supermarket. Being in a position of leadership in my work environment has given me the ability to assess situations and overcome them in a logical and rational manner, while ensuring all people involved are left happy, having been treated fairly. My part-time job has also presented me with opportunities to develop my cooperation and group work skills. This is essential as staff must work cooperatively as a team to ensure everything runs smoothly. These skills are integral when pursuing a career in teaching as it is a highly collaborative career.
Teaching PhilosophyÂ
When asked the question “Why do you want to be a teacher?” I often begin to reflect on the teachers I had in highschool and the impact they left on me. It was their ability to sustain a positive and supportive classroom that nurtured not only my own learning, but that of my peers as well (Anderson, 1970) that first caught my interest. As an aspiring teacher, I wish to foster the same support and positivity in my own classroom so that I can, like my teachers, inspire the next generation to be the best they can be if not better. To be a teacher is to be someone who can aspire to inspire while instilling this idea into their students. Teaching is a profession where the overall health and wellbeing of the student is the foremost concern. As such, teachers must ensure that they are doing everything they can to cater to the students mental, emotional and physical needs. It is my belief that teachers are not just facilitators of academic education, but they are people who help prepare you for the challenges of life outside of school. This includes providing students with the appropriate skills for school life but also life outside school (Seligman, 2009). I strongly believe that it is the job of a teacher to help students build resilience, among other life skills. There is no doubt in my mind that by introducing students to these concepts and having them apply them throughout their schooling, they will be able to become active members of society while overcoming the difficulties they will surely face. I also firmly believe that the introduction and evolution of ICT in education is to be welcomed and applied appropriately within the classroom (NESA, 2012). ICT, when maintained and supervised, is an extremely useful tool in the classroom. ICT gives rise to an increase in creativity as well as individual expression in the classroom through it plethora of uses, while simultaneously increasing engagement with learning (NESA, 2012).
Anderson, G.J., 1970. Effects of classroom social climate on individual learning. American educational research journal, 7(2), pp.135-152.
Seligman, M.E., Ernst, R.M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K. and Linkins, M., 2009. Positive education: Positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford review of education, 35(3), pp.293-311.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers | NSW Education Standards. (2012). Retrieved 13 September 2019, from https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/teacher-accreditation/how-accreditation-works/guide-to-accreditation/professional-standards
Michael's Literature Blog 