January 18th, 2026
This post is going to be about Worldviews which is the first point in the UVIC Teacher Education Competencies under Personal and Professional Preparation. It states “Develop an awareness of your worldview and how this relates to others’ worldviews.” I am going to be answering a list of questions that my instructor has provided to get a better understanding of my own worldview and how it can influence other peoples as well as relates to others worldviews.
What does it mean to be ‘effective’?
Being effective means to get the end result that you were either wanting or looking for.
What characteristics does an effective teacher have?
There are many characteristics that an effective teacher has, here are some I think an effective teacher has:
- Communicating clearly and respectfully
- Working well with others and cooperating in groups
- Being understanding of other people’s lives, feelings, and situations
- Being reliable and dependable
- Having a positive and optimistic attitude
- Being open to trying new strategies and ideas
- Using problem – solving skills to handle challenges
- Being aware of personal biases and not letting them affect decisions
- Setting and maintaining clear boundaries and expectations
- Being proactive and taking initiative
- Being flexible when plans or situations change
- Being able to work independently
- Being curious and willing to learn
- Being self aware and reflective
What kind of teacher do I want to become?
I want to become a teacher who is effective. Everything that I have listed above, I strive to be that kind of teacher when I graduate from EKTEP (East Kootenay Teacher Education Program). I think that every “good” teacher is effective and show these qualities in themselves. I don’t think it matters about how much these qualities show, as long as they are somewhere in that person then they are an effective teacher.
What do I need to learn to become an effective teacher?
I think that everything I need to learn to be an effective teacher cannot be taught and has to be self discovered. What I think that I could work on myself is:
- Being understanding of other people’s lives, feelings, and situations
- Being aware of personal biases and not letting them affect my decisions
- Being flexible when plans or situations change
I know that I have the other qualities that I have listed above, but what I also know is that I and everyone can always improve the qualities that they already have. So I think that I have a lot of personal growth to do.
What are my beliefs about teaching (my teaching philosophy)?
My teaching philosophy is ongoing and changes the more I learn about myself and learning about myself in a school setting.
I believe that students learn best when they feel safe, seen, and valued within the classroom and this is done by building strong, trusting relationships. Once there is the relationship, the students will be more willing to take risks and engage in their learning when they feel supported. I want a welcoming, inclusive classroom where all students feel respected and represented. I believe meaningful learning happens when students are involved and are given opportunities to have guided exploration to create and think critically. I aim to design engaging, fun, hands-on learning experiences that encourage creativity, problem solving, and growth. I view mistakes as important parts of the learning process.
What is a worldview?
A worldview are peoples beliefs depending on the experiences they have lived. Everyone will have a different worldview depending on influences in their childhood and who has impacted them most as a person. These influences will impact what a person believes, what choices they make in life, how they act in different situations and how they view the world when challenges enter their life.
“We are all the product of our worldviews…”
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. (p.163)
How would you describe your worldview?
I would describe my worldview as a continuation of change. I think every year my experiences and what I learn through travel and conversations with people impact my worldview and modifies it. These past couple years of being in the program have made me understand more about myself, and what my beliefs are in life. But if I had to say a couple words that describes my worldview, it would be inclusive, ethical, respectful and hopeful. I want everyone to have equal rights, be respectful towards everyone and everything around them. As well as being ethical to make thoughtful choices about what I will do that could impact someone. Lastly, I am hopeful about the outcome of my life and how the world is. Right now there is a lot of sad in the world and I am hopeful that there will be change.
While thinking about your own worldview, also consider the impacts of your ethnocultural, socioeconomic, geopolitical and spiritual identity.
I have lived in Canada my entire life, growing up in the East Kootenay region shaped my understanding of belonging, and community. Growing up in the middle class and always having all of the essentials has increased my awareness of my own privilege. As an Indigenous person, my learnings of Indigenous people came from the Ktunaxa Peoples and their culture. Only recently, have I started learning more about my Mi’kmaq heritage which has deepened my understanding of my own identity, which I am still continuously learning about.
Why, as a teacher, is it important to be aware of your own worldview, as well as those of your students and school community?
I think it is important to be aware of our worldviews before we go and teach so that we do not impose our beliefs onto the students. Our job is to be neutral and not say what we agree with or not. Additionally, my thought is the same for the students and school community so that you do not pick “favourites” just because their belief and your belief align. As well, you do not want students to feel like they are judged or for them to feel like there is a power imbalance. Everyone should be at an equal playing field because at the end of the day we are all there to learn, have fun, and support everyone’s learning even the teachers.
What can you do, as a teacher, to ensure that your worldview does not impede the success of the diversity of learners in your classroom?
Teachers can provide multiple different perspectives to ensure that our worldviews does not impede the success of the diversity of learners in our future classrooms. Teachers can do this by inviting different people into the class to talk about cultures, ethnicities, etc. Providing students with multiple different worldviews and experiences will ensure they learn many worldviews so they can create their own that is not bias towards mine. Having exposure to multiple worldviews will make sure that students learn about the world and all different perspectives.
When do you consider it to be necessary to challenge the western worldview as it impacts the K-12 education system?
I think it is necessary to challenge the Western worldview in the K-12 education system when it controls/influences curriculum, teaching methods, and assessment and when it limits knowledge and experiences to our students.
I think that K-12 Education System/ curriculum will always be impacted by Western worldviews because of what is going on in the world and the steps forward and backwards that Indigenous people are experiencing from the government from the governments way of reconciliation. I often find that the influences of Western worldview marginalizes Indigenous ways of knowing which will impact FPPL (First People’s Principles of Learning) due to the thought of “Western” approaches seem to be always the “correct” way of doing things. I find this leaves no room to grow the FPPL and actually practice this in the classroom without it feeling pushed, OR fake (not meaningful).
As a future teacher, challenging the Western worldviews is a priority of mine and that means I need to create an environment in my classroom for Indigenous perspectives, stories, and relational approaches for learning. Having this approach will allow an inclusive education system that allows students to understand the world in multiple lenses rather than a single lens. I think every teacher needs to remember to be mindful how colonial histories are still impacting what we do in the classrooms, the ways we teach, what we teach, and who benefits from these outcomes.
What aspects of the BC curriculum reinforce or challenge a Western worldview?
I did read UBC’s Indigenous Corporate Training before I answered this question, I looked at the differences between Western worldview and Indigenous worldviews. There are so many great resources to find the difference between each of the worldviews, also each Indigenous worldview will be a bit different depending on the band.
The BC curriculum reinforces a Western worldview because of these things:
- Being organized by subject areas (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.), grade levels, and the learning standards. Many Indigenous worldviews understand learning holistic, cross curricular, etc. (kinship based).
- Western worldviews are reinforced because of assessment (competition, and measurable achievement). While Indigenous ways of demonstrating learning (oral storytelling, observation, growth) can be harder to recognize or assess within these systems.
- In many textbooks that are used within higher grades to teach the content off of the BC curriculum website, majority of the time Indigenous content is included but last in the chapter, also majority of the time the author of the text book always talks in “Western” perspective.
I am sure there are many more ways the BC Curriculum reinforces the Western worldview but I thought I would just list a few.
