Professional Profile

My name is Natalie Donaldson, I am currently in my third year of study at the Australian Catholic University, undergoing a Bachelor of Secondary Education, Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) Majoring in Visual Arts with an extended minor in English.

I am also in my final year of studying a Diploma of Languages (Italian) at ACU.

My Teaching Philosophy

I believe that teaching is a vocation, and further, that teachers have the responsibility to empower their students with confidence and autonomy. I value the individuality and diversity of my students, I feel that classrooms should serve to fuel their passions, incite curiosity, and provide opportunities for students to explore themselves and their world. I value the importance of community and belonging within education and similarly, I strive for students to value themselves and know that they are important, contributing members of society.

My teaching philosophy draws upon constructivist learning theories. I believe students should be active participants in their learning, encouraging students to deconstruct information through their own lens of individuality (Bruner, 1990). I value inquiry-based models of teaching in which the classroom is student centred so as to promote a love of learning within students. Further drawing on constructivist theories, through an understanding of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, I feel that creating opportunities for collaborative learning is extremely important, not only amongst peers but incorporating engagement with the community and professionals in the field where possible (Churchill et al., 2019).

Further, my teaching practice takes cognitive learning theories into consideration. I feel that though an understanding of information processing, I can facilitate activities which promote a deep understanding of information (Churchill et al., 2019). I believe that establishing a continuum of learning is essential and therefore I strive to establish strong educational foundations so that students may become confident citizens when they leave my classroom. It is my goal to foster the natural curiosity of students and empower them to think critically, creatively, and autonomously.

Similarly, I value assessment in the classroom. I feel that through an effective utilisation of assessment of learning, assessment as learning and assessment for learning, I encourage inquisitive learners. Driving students to take responsibility of their education and understand the importance of feedback for development (Tomlinson, 2008). I also place a large value on the assessment of my teaching practice and understand the significance of continually seeking feedback as a practicing teacher so that I too may grow and support my students as best possible.

Finally, I believe that ICT has the potential to exponentially enhance learning in the classroom by creating opportunities for learning in a variety of contexts and enhancing the engagement of students. I feel that utilising ICT is integral to the contemporary classroom, to support student autonomy and allowing them to be the ‘architects’ of their learning (Churchill et al., 2019). My teaching philosophy pays particular emphasis to AITSL standard 2.6 and draws from the TPCK framework in my belief that effective pedagogical practices, deep knowledge of curriculum and use of innovative ICT is necessary for a successful classroom environment in which students can flourish as learners (AITSL, 2018; Mishra & Koehler, 2006).

Citations

Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership. (2017). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of Meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

Churchill, S., Godinho, S., Johnson, N. F.; Keddie, A., Letts, W.; Lowe, K.; Mackay, J.; McGill, M.; Moss, J.; Nagel, M.; Shaw, K.; Vick, M. (2018). Teaching: Making a difference (4th ed.). Milton, Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Mishra, P. & Koehler, MJ. (2006), Technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017– 54.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2008). Learning to Love Assessment. Educational Leadership, 65, 8 – 13.