Educators understand the curricular, conceptual and methodological foundations of education and of the subject areas they teach. Educators must be able to communicate effectively in English or French. Educators teach students to understand relevant curricula in a Canadian, Aboriginal, and global context. Educators convey the values, beliefs and knowledge of our democratic society.

          I have chosen to include a letter from the University of British Columbia as well as a photo from my graduation day as evidence for completing my Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Psychology.  My degree from UBC demonstrates this TRB standard because it exemplifies my deep understanding of child development and psychology, as well as my broad knowledge base.  Through the process of acquiring this degree, I took a diverse range of courses - from music to linguistics - which gave me unique skills and understanding that I apply to my teaching. 

          I have studied the stages of development, which is so important in teaching.  As teachers, we cannot expect students to do something that they are not developmentally ready to do.  In my child development courses we also focused on learning disabilities, autism, behavioural disorders, and anxiety/depression, and how to recognize and respond each.  I also learned that there are ways to make each subject interesting and engaging.  When I started my degree, I loathed mathematics and science, as I simply thought it wasn’t something I was good at or interested in.  Students in my math class were assigned individual projects, in which we were to explore intervals and frequency ratios.  In my research, I learned that frequency ratios and intervals apply perfectly to music, and I was able to look at math project through the lens of a musician (a title I identified with much more than a mathematician).  So in the end, I presented a project on music, which was actually a presentation on math, and vice versa.  What I learned was: getting through school is as simple as finding a way to make it interesting to you.  I am grateful now that it was necessary for me to take a broad range of courses - giving me a broad base of knowledge - and forcing me to be creative in how I chose to approach it.  I hope to give my students some freedom and choice in how to approach their curricular competencies in order to increase their own interest and motivation.

          The evidence has impacted my knowledge greatly, as it has given me a broad knowledge base as well as a deep understanding of my students’ learning and behaviour.  In addition to my psychology courses, my Bachelor Degree requirements (as well as the requirements of my current Post Baccalaureate Program at Vancouver Island University), required that I take courses that encouraged well-roundedness as a teacher, such as geography, mathematics, and English.  I also took introductory Spanish and intermediate French so I can comfortably teach these languages.  I also feel very comfortable with my writing and speaking skills.  I have also taken college-level music courses and feel capable when sharing music with students, which has greatly enriched and benefitted my classroom since most children in elementary school love singing.  Being in a university setting has also taught me what good teaching looks like.  The best teachers left me feeling inspired and excited, and I would often leave school telling my friends or family what I had learned, all from memory.  It wasn’t necessarily the content that I found the most interesting, but how it was relayed to me.  One way or another, it was memorable.  Again, my take-home message was that successful learning occurs when we can find a way to make it interesting. 

          My evidence demonstrates my psychology background, as well as my knowledge of various learning theories outlined in my child development courses.  During my studies I learned about theorists from Locke to Darwin that helped inform my view of learning and teaching.  Today, I do not identify with a single theorist, but have developed my own amalgamation of perspectives I connect with.  In my undergrad studies, we discussed a wide arrange of phenomena such as modelling, stages of development and speech, as well as the hierarchy of needs.  All of these principles are ingrained in me and how I consider and approach my students.  I also learned about diverse needs and learning abilities, which gave me inside into how to approach curriculum holistically.

​

          A strength of this evidence is that it exemplifies not only my degree, but my dedication to becoming a teacher.  The completion of my degree did not happen linearly or easily.  I stopped, and started again, and changed, and restarted.  I took breaks to pursue other passions, and in the process I was able to be what I see as a well-rounded and happy human being.  But the important thing is, I finished, and not just because I started it, but because I wanted it badly enough.  I have always wanted to be a teacher, and I knew that this degree was necessary in getting me there.

​

          It is important that teachers be well-rounded and knowledgeable individuals (as outlined by this TRB standard) because studying diverse areas opens our minds to thinking in different ways.  As a teacher, it is integral that we model what we hope our students foster: growth.  Our brains and our ways of thinking on day one of post-secondary differs vastly from the day we graduate.  We create new neural pathways in our brains by understanding things we could not have before, developing new skills, and by fostering deeper and more diverse perspectives.  Post-secondary education also helps us solidify how, when, and what we like to learn.  It’s a good place to start as we begin a career of helping others do the same.

          I will hold this TRB standard true as I continue to broaden my knowledge base through attending workshops and professional development seminars, as well as drawing inspiration and guidance from literature.  As per the TRB standard, I will teach with various perspectives in mind, through careful consideration of all sources of information from various contexts.  As I look to further improve my skills and knowledge, I plan to acquire my Master’s Degree in the upcoming years and look forward to discovering how this will enrich my classroom even more.