What is Better Your Learning about?

I believe in fair and equal education. You would never have known it, but I did not have the easiest time in school growing up in rural Ottawa Valley. In hindsight, I realized this was, in part, because school was focused so heavily on what we were learning, that Why we were learning it, was lost. Over time, I discovered a love of learning, by asking why (so much more than my teachers appreciated).

I am a strong believer that our students learn better and engage more with the material if we are engaged with the material ourselves. I also believe that we need to explore Why we are learning what we are learning. Why do we learn math? Why is it important to practice sooooo much? My job is to set my students up for the best possible learning experience, by getting them to work together, to learn how to ask questions and the right kinds of questions that help expand their thinking and learning minds. If your child needs to learn by memorizing for a while, this is okay, as not everyone learns everything at the same pace. This is a fallacy of success that hinders the real importance of learning; to never give up on learning more and learning better. We must remember that just because we do not fully grasp something right now, does not mean that it is forever. I have had countless experiences where I am like ‘okay, so I do this, this way… but why?’ It is always important to ask why, but it is equally important to recognize that we might not have an instant or fully developed answer. When we are young, we are drawing a learning portrait for ourselves.

I believe in equitable education for all, and unfortunately, if there is anything I am learning from the last couple of years, it’s that education is not equitable. In an ideal world, it is. In reality, it is far from it. I believe that graded school systems create a lot of competition in classrooms and often (not always) will take away from the focus on better learning. I believe that the language and teaching structure we use for our gifted students is the language and structure we should be using for all of our students. I believe that I have a profound responsibility to ensure that I am not just including but integrating all voices and cultural celebrations and abilities that I possibly can in my classroom. I believe that education is one of the greatest powers students can have and build upon; to ultimately have the ability to see situations from different perspectives and work together to create a better world. 

Finally, I believe that we get out of our learning experience what we put into it. It takes patience,  commitment and nurturing to cultivate an effective, cooperative learning experience for all students. We are all a part of the Better Your Learning Family and we are here to build you up in your learning journey.