Teaching Quality Standard
Throughout my experience as a pre-service teacher, my academic knowledge has been bridged with volunteer, field and professional experiences within teaching and learning environments. Upon reflecting on the Teaching Quality Standard as it aligns with my professional experiences and approaches to teaching and learning—as exemplified in my chosen artifacts—, I recognized areas of strength and growth within my practice. As an educator, I must continuously engage in critical reflection, and it is only through exercises such as this that I can identify and address my successes and potential gaps.
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I take pride in my ability to be a reflective practitioner and career-long professional learner. Within the last year, I have made a conscious effort to seek out greater professional development opportunities that have enriched my knowledge and practice. I have gained invaluable knowledge on many topics and have invested over 150 hours in the last six months to participate in professional development certifications, courses and seminars. In Field Experience III, I employed these newfound approaches and strategies, which ultimately positively contributed to establishing an inclusive learning environment where diversity was embraced, and my students felt respected and welcomed. In Field III, I also felt confident in my ability to effectively plan opportunities for knowledge engagement, representation, and expression connected to the programs of studies. I believe my planning and delivery demonstrated my ability to apply a current and comprehensive repertoire of effective practices. I fully recognize the importance of being observant, flexible, and an active listener in this role to better serve all learners' learning needs. As outlined in my Teacher Professional Growth Plan, an area in which I hope to strengthen is applying foundational knowledge about First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples within my teaching and learning practices. During my field experience, I felt that I did not fully engage in the decolonial work I vowed to undertake. As mentioned in both the reflection section and TPGP component of this assignment, I hope to authentically incorporate greater opportunities for students to engage in Indigenous ways of knowing, being and living. This will be done by implementing Indigenous content and pedagogies into my lessons and teaching practices. I will continuously practice and educate myself so that I can attempt to decolonize my mindset fully and "untangle the complex web of internalized oppression created by colonization" (Poitras-Prat et al., 2018, p. 3). It is not just a career goal of mine but also a life-long commitment to increase my capacity and knowledge of Indigenous pedagogy, history, and culture. By incorporating FNMI perspectives, approaches, practices, and theories, I can better foster a safe space for all students.
Although this was an individual assignment, I received support and guidance from several of my peers. After exchanging links to one another's e-Portfolios, I received constructive feedback that allowed me to improve my reflections' clarity and design. I also was able to see how my peers reflected upon their own teaching and learning journeys. I believe that through this process, my e-Portfolio accurately and comprehensively represents my identity and journey.
References
Alberta Education (2018), Teaching Quality Standard. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/3739 620/standardsdoc-tqs-_fa-web-2018-01- 17.pdf
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Poitras Pratt, Y., Louie, D.W., Hanson, A.J., & Ottmann, J. (2018). Indigenous education and decolonization. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.240
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