In this page, you will read about a few competencies that are important to me as a future educator.
- Critical Thinking: In today’s online age, critical thinking is a skill that is increasingly important to society. Individuals have more information at their fingertips than ever before. However, most of this information is biased in one way or another. How can students sift through and determine what they believe? I think that teaching students to think critically and become advocates for what they believe in is a skill that will become more and more important as we continue through the 21st century. Furthermore, how can we teach students how to think critically in their interpersonal relationships? Teaching students to think for themselves is something that I feel very strongly about, and hope to advocate for in my teaching career.
- Communication: In line with critical thinking, communicating their thoughts is a necessary skill our students must learn. Again, as our world becomes more and more online, communication skills in our youth are faltering. Our students must learn how to identify and communicate their emotions, thoughts, and questions. I hope that my future classrooms are safe spaces for students to experiment and succeed in communications.
- Intercultural Awareness: Intercultural awareness is very important to me. Since I was a young child, I have travelled to many countries and cultures. I have lived on three different continents, travelled to almost 20 countries, and experienced ways of living and being that are so different from that of British Columbia, and so so beautiful. I know that learning from new cultures promotes empathy, understanding, and compassion for others. I hope that in my teachings I can focus on the many ways of existing that are experienced throughout our world, not just the Western ways we experience here. I hope that I can teach about religious holidays from around the planet, not just the Christian holidays that are ingrained into our society, such as Christmas and Easter. I hope I can open my students’ eyes to customs, foods, experiences, and landscapes of various cultures and countries. I want my students to feel empathy and care for humans of all races, cultures, beliefs, abilities, and more.
