Hello! I am Lidia a 4th grade teacher in Ontario! I have been teaching for 7 years and I have loved every moment of it.
I am excited, yet nervous to launch a blog but I hope this can be a place where I can share some of my teaching experiences, teaching ideas and have continued discussions with fellow teachers about our profession!
My teaching philosophy is one that promotes inquiry-based learning in the classroom. Student voice and student choice are at the center of all knowledge building. I think of my students and myself as part of a knowledge-building community that comes together to learn from each other, as opposed to the teacher as the holder of knowledge and the students as retainers of information.
Six years ago I began my teaching journey as a 6th and 7th grade teacher. I loved teaching 6th and 7th grade students but when the opportunity to teach 4th grade was presented to me I jumped at the chance! This meant switching schools only 2 months into the school year and starting all over. I was up for the challenge! Teaching younger students had always been an interest of mine because I love their sense of curiosity and their genuine creativity!
Early on in my teaching career, I realized that the way I had seen teaching modelled to me was not how I was going to be as a teacher. I have always been a creative, out of the box thinker with a love for taking risks and during my first 2 years of teaching, I really struggled with balancing my somewhat "out there" creative side while also trying to listen and learn from my colleagues. I was concerned that I didn't know what I was doing. I would see what my colleagues were doing, how they were planning, how they were assessing and was lost. What I saw teachers doing in their classrooms was NOT what I was doing and was not what I wanted to do as a teacher. The struggle continued, I didn't fit in, I felt like I was always the odd one out and I was confused about what my role as a teacher actually was. As a new teacher, I was trying to find my niche. I began reflecting and told myself that it was ok to be different from what I saw, it was ok to experiment. Every teacher is different and that is OK. That's when it began. During this time, I had the chance to meet an amazing teacher who introduced me to the world of Inquiry. At first, I was unsure but I quickly realized that THIS was the answer I was looking for. INQUIRY was what I wanted to do!
Over the years I have searched high and low on Twitter, Instagram, Teachers pay teachers, Pinterest and so many other resources on the internet for more about inquiry. Where was it? What did it look like in the classroom? Who else was doing this with their students?
There are some really great educators doing really cool things out there but the inquiry teacher seemed to be few and far between. This is precisely why I created The Art of Inquiry!
Through my love for the arts, the unknown, curiosity and exploration "The Art of Inquiry" seemed like the perfect way to describe me as a teacher! Inquiry is more than students asking questions about things they are curious about and doing research. It is a way for students to build on their knowledge in a way that works for them. Inquiry allows students and teachers to let go of the classroom "norms" and be creative about their approach to learning.
Inquiry is the ART of getting to know who you are as a learner!
Through this blog, I hope to share my learning, my ideas, my ups and downs, successes and failures. I want to spark your curiosity, and bring you into the world of inquiry!
If you would like to follow my teaching journey, connect with me on Instagram @the.art.of.inquiry on Twitter @LFumster and follow me on Teachers Pay Teachers to promote your student's inquiring, creative minds!
-- Lidia
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