The Professional knowledge domain draws upon the knowledge of students and how they learn that must be acquired for quality teaching and effective learning. Achieving proficiency in this domain entails acquiring knowledge of students’ abilities, and cultural, linguistic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. This awareness is crucial as individual experiences significantly affect students’ learning and development (Tucker & Stronge, 2005). By integrating specific knowledge about students’ characteristics, strengths, and needs with a comprehensive understanding of curriculum content, as well as employing evidence-based teaching pedagogies suitable for developing twenty-first century learners, teachers can tailor planning and teach responsively to deliver quality instruction for optimal learning and development.
It is imperative that teachers also acquire a deep understanding of the cognitive, physical, and social/emotional developmental stages. This knowledge ensures our teaching practices accommodate the diverse needs of students through differentiation to support participation and engagement for all students (Churchill et al., 2019). Aligning with a humanism learning theory (Nath et al., 2017), developing meaningful student-teacher relationships is the core of my teaching philosophy to ensure students are valued and accepted for their unique qualities and attributes, creating a positive learning environment for academic achievement and personal student growth.
References:
Churchill, R., Godinho, S., Johnson, N., Keddie, A., Letts, W., Lowe, K., Shaw, K. (2019). Teaching: making a difference (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Nath, A., Kumar, R., & Behura, A. (2017). Humanistic approach to education: a look into the human perspective of teaching and learning. Global Journal of Engineering Science and Researchers, 53-55.
Tucker, P., & Stronge, J. (2005). Linking teacher evaluation and student learning. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
