Parfitt 1

Frame of Reference
Christine Parfitt

Education is important in the shaping and changing of childrens lives. In the education
field a teacher is the driving force of the classroom. It is my job as a teacher to teach children the
building blocks for life and to educate them in a way that allows them to grow as individuals.

I believe that children have a right to a safe and comfortable classroom environment that
allows them to learn and grow to their full educational and life potentials. To do this I will create
a positive workplace that allows children to develop into their full potential. Having a positive
workplace is important because children need to feel safe and comfortable in their environments
in order to thrive in the learning environment that they are in. This kind of positive environment
can be created by building rapport with the class but also by having strong classroom
management skills. Teaching the students ways to self-regulate their behaviour and to use their
personal and social skills when dealing with tough situations. In the new curriculum the Core
Competencies are interwoven throughout to help teach students communication, thinking, and
personal and social skills. These three competencies, and in particular the personal and social
skills are in place to teach the students the ability to thrive as individuals, to understand and care
about themselves and others, and to find and achieve their purposes in the world. I believe that

Parfitt 2

with the right learning environment students will be able to grow to become strong independent
individuals that succeed in their educational and life goals.

I will inspire students to learn. As a student I was inspired to learn and teach. I will be the
kind of teacher that students can look up to as a positive role model. I strive to be the kind of
teacher who inspires the students to want to learn. I am the kind of teacher who brings a sense of
community within the classroom. I will be the kind of teacher who students feel that they can
come to with issues. I value smaller classroom sizes and one-on-one work to aid in students
intellectual growth. I am the kind of teacher that puts the extra effort into my work. I am the kind
of teacher that goes to work early and stays late just to help the students out when they need it. I
know that not every day is going to be easy but I value that by putting in the extra work I will be
given the reward of seeing my students succeed in their endeavors and see them grow as students
and people.

As a teacher I will work with my students with a sense of respect and consideration of the
different backgrounds of my students. Living and teaching here in Canada I know that there will
be a lot of diversity among students. It is important to learn and have knowledge of those
different backgrounds that students come from so that I can accommodate each of them to the
best of my ability. Within this diversity comes the knowledge and acknowledgement of the First
People Principles of Learning. These principles are affirmed by the First nations communities

Parfitt 3

and are currently being reflected within the new British Columbia curriculum. For example, the
first principle dictates that Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family,
the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors. Not only is this principle embedded in
First Peoples culture, I believe that it is a strong principle for anyone to live by. Learning should
support every individuals well-being, family, and their connection to their community. These are
important for everyone to learn and this connection to the First Peoples Principles of learning
will be beneficial for all learners. This will also help me in my teaching to connect to a large part
of the diverse community that is represented in my classroom and in Canada. Therefore, by
knowing the values of different cultures and also understanding that some children may come
from different socio-economic backgrounds it could help me to teach each individual student
with regard to their individual needs.

As a teacher and a professional I believe it is my responsibility to contribute to my

Parfitt 4

My assessment practices are continually growing and becoming more adept. For much of
my assessment, both in formative and summative assignments, I continuously refer to the revised
version of Blooms Taxonomy and his scale the categorizes educational goals within the
cognitive domain of learning (picture located at end). This sort of scale is very helpful in
assessing and looking where the students understanding of the content is and what area of focus
that I may need to teach the students more in. Blooms revised cognitive domain scale shows the
steps: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. When a
student is learning a new concept I will be able to assess and observe which area of Blooms
scale the students current understanding is and use this knowledge to further inform my
instruction. An example might be that if a student is only remembering or just beginning to
understand a concept I might give them more information or try to teach the concept to the
student in a different way in order for them to move into the applying stage of cognitive
development. When the student is able to move into the applying stage I will see that they are
able to take the basis of knowledge that they have learned and use it and apply it in another
context. As a teacher, along with my learning intentions and objectives, Blooms taxonomy will
help me to plan and deliver appropriate instruction, design valid assessment tasks and strategies,
and ensure that instruction and assessment are aligned with the objectives [that I have created]
(https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/). This is only a glimpse of some

Parfitt 5

of the assessment tools that I will be using, and I plan to evolve, add, and adapt my assessment
practices as I continue to grow as a teacher.

I believe in a way of teaching that will allow the students around me to learn and grow as
people that will also allow for me to continue to be inspired myself. I want to continue to learn
and grow as a teacher as each new school year starts and in each new classroom. My ultimate
goal as a teacher will be to inspire and be inspired to teach and learn.

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/