Personal Frame of Reference and Teaching Philosophy Statement

Principles of Teaching & Learning

In the process of developing this document, I have done a lot of thinking about the teachers
and educators Ive learned from and with whom I have worked. As I reflect back on my
experiences with these people, five key characteristics of excellent teaching come to mind.
These characteristics are embodied in the five pillars of my teaching philosophy:
Equal Opportunity,
Passion,
Active Engagement,
Learning Empowered by Technology, and
Mentorship.

These ideas are based in a broad, complexivist belief in coherence theory; personal
experiences guide the preconceived notions of our students, influencing their thoughts,
ideas, and ways of knowing.

Equal Opportunity -
I believe that a well-educated society is the key to solving all of
the worlds big problems; anybody, regardless of any factor, should be able to get an
education that suits their needs. To me this means utilizing an adaptive approach and
differentiated instruction to enable each individual to reach their full potential. I enable
students to make a personal connection to the curriculum. I envision a diverse classroom
with students engaging in discussions anchored by respect for their classmates. In the music
room specifically, I see support for a family who cant quite afford to send their child on a
band trip on their own, and a diverse community of not only learners, but musicians as well,
developing together to become artists driven to practice, perform, and participate by their
collective want to simply create and enjoy music.

Brennan Conroy (EDPB Yr. 6 Secondary)

Personal Frame of Reference and Teaching Philosophy Statement

Principles of Teaching & Learning

Passion -
I bring my background and personal experiences to my classroom in an
effort to help the students I serve find excitement and fulfilment in their education.
There is nothing more fulfilling to me than standing in front of an ensemble that has
struggled to develop a difficult piece of repertoire and directing them in a stellar
performance of the piece for friends and family; I believe that band students feel the same
way about that performance, and when we both bring that level of excitement to
music-making, great things happen. I also believe that an ongoing dialogue with my
colleagues (both distant and local) in teaching will help me discover new and better ways to
help my students find excitement in the content they engage with.

Active Engagement -
Lessons should be driven by a hook or question, with activities
designed to encourage students to discover the curriculum and content on their
own. Teachers are no longer strictly conveyors of knowledge: we are responsible for
teaching our students the skills to find the information they seek. Similarly, I believe that a
student is more engaged and invested in their education when they have ownership in their
assessment tasks. I dialogue with my students to help them create the formative
assessment tools by which their development is recognized. This process involves making
learning objectives clear from the beginning in order to guide the discussion. I communicate
with parents to better understand what sorts of of projects their children have engaged best
with in the past. Finally, I engage my students in an ongoing process of self-assessment and
reflection, because a student who is genuinely invested in the assessment model can
accurately look back on it to determine of the criteria have been met; this further enhances
the students ownership in the work theyre doing.

Brennan Conroy (EDPB Yr. 6 Secondary)

Personal Frame of Reference and Teaching Philosophy Statement

Principles of Teaching & Learning

Learning Empowered by Technology -

Younger generations are always going to be
on the leading edge of ongoing and relentless technological advancement. Theyll
always have the latest gadgets. Much like I, as a music educator, must be familiar with the
current popular music repertory in order to remain relevant, so must I be familiar with the
new devices my students use. I believe in utilizing the powerful and varied tools that my
students have access to in a wide variety of contexts, from research in Social Studies to
documentation in Science to recording student compositions in the band room.

Mentorship -
I openly engage with the students I serve on their thoughts, hopes,
and dreams in support of their emotional and larger-scale development. This style of
teaching and mentorship is strongly supported by the new BC Curriculum under the Positive
Personal and Cultural Identity Core Competency: If a student understands themself more
intimately, they will better be able to form a personal connection with the curriculum. While
this pillar presents a fine line between friend and educator, I believe that these sorts of
discussions are crucial in the development of well-rounded people (and communities, on a
larger scale), which I believe is the ultimate goal of education as a profession and institution
in the first place.

My philosophy of education is what keeps me grounded in my teaching practice, and as such

is an extremely important element of who I am as an educator. I chose the pillar model for
my philosophy because without any individual part, my whole philosophy falls, and without
my philosophy, I have no basis from which to teach. That being said, however, this
document is fluid, and I look forward to expanding my philosophy with additional ideas,
experiences, and support as I go through my career.

Brennan Conroy (EDPB Yr. 6 Secondary)