I believe that great teaching starts with listening. By listening, you learn to self-reflect, build a trusting relationship and are better equipped to engage with your students. Since my immigration, I have learned how to listen deeply, listening to someone and paying attention to their voice, hearing their viewpoint and their history. While listening, I become quieter and fuller. I notice myself even more. This experience has permeated my dancing, creating and teaching.
I encourage my students to trust themselves, be committed to their beliefs, and keep their curiosity in the process. I ask my students to be open minded and give themselves permission to take their time to learn, practice and assimilate. Fostering a supportive and inclusive environment is an important element in my teaching. It’s crucial to cultivate the classroom atmosphere to be a space of support, respect, patience and care and for class to be a time for examining their processes with an overall generosity of spirit. I ask my students how they are doing, how their bodies are, how their day was, what they are working on from other classes and so forth. My goal is to get to know them beyond just their name - to know more about who they are, what their needs are from their perspective, and what they enjoy outside of class. I believe it is essential that students feel comfortable studying with their classmates and me. Building this trusting and safe environment helps me and the class to have a more engaging learning and teaching experience, and enables us to share observation and feedback in a more honest way.
On the first day, I tell the students that this is not my class, it’s our class. I explain that our learning happens in two ways: we can all learn from each other, not just from me. I ask for their input and feedback throughout the class because I value their voices. It is crucial for me to remind them that our classroom is a safe place for them to advocate for themselves and to listen to each other. Cultivating the classroom to be a space of support, respect, patience, and generosity starts from me, the teacher, but I need them to contribute to make it complete.
Over the last couple of years, I have been developing the idea of the classroom as a playground and ways to approach this academically. A playground is a place of creativity, whimsy, diversion, exuberance and social interaction. It is also accessible and welcoming. This idea has been very beneficial and effective when engaging with a diverse student body. There is a sense of ease when the class gets to adapt the idea of play based on the subject of a class or while completing assignments. There is a sense of acceptance when the class trusts each other and collaborates. A sense of community is fostered when the class cultivates critical thinking skills together. The class creates a playground to learn, play and reflect together.
With my current study of Restorative Practices, it is my wish to implement restorative practices in the classroom and into my pedagogical approach. This journey began from personal belief in the practices; learning the theory and history has been challenging me to be a better educator. Continuing my growth as a teacher, I seek to connect and build healthier relationships with my communities including my students and colleagues. Teaching is another way of learning. I learn how to learn, how to listen, and how to teach. Learning inspires my teaching and teaching has inspired me to continue to learn.