Anika Cormier
Student Teacher
ABOUT ME
My name is Anika Cormier and I am currently completing my Bachelor of Education in Kindergarten & Elementary at McGill University. I am also on the women’s hockey team at McGill and as a student-athlete, I have been surrounded by teachers and coaches my entire life. I started coaching when I was 12 because I wanted to give back and help the younger athletes develop their sporting abilities, just as coaches had done for me. This is how I discovered that I have a passion for educating and inspiring children. I want to make a difference in their lives and contribute to society by becoming a teacher.
Being a leader is an important quality to becoming a teacher, as well as empathy and patience, all values I hold close to my heart. I am a very positive, open-minded individual and I am always ready to help someone in need making me very approachable. I have been told by many parents that I am a natural when it comes to teaching and I hope to have a positive influence on all my future students.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
I believe that being a teacher is not just about the knowledge you pass on but about inspiring curiosity, improving critical thinking and fostering a good environment for kids to learn. That is why I want to emphasize the values of inclusion, empathy, collaboration and positive relationships in my future classroom. My main goal as a teacher is to foster a sense of community and belonging for all students in my classroom.
Inclusion
I want to create an inclusive classroom environment by ensuring all students have equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their background or abilities. I want to promote diversity and foster a sense of community and belonging to improve each student’s learning experience. One of the things I plan on implementing to emphasize inclusion is differentiated instruction, which is tailoring lessons to meet the needs of students with different learning styles and levels.
Empathy
This cannot be done without being empathetic, which is one of the most important values in my eyes. It allows me to remain aware of students’ feelings, which in turn creates an environment where students feel cared for and comfortable being themselves. This can be done by having check-ins on how the students are feeling, offering support when they need it, and showing care for students’ challenges and successes.
Collaboration
I want to include many opportunities for collaboration in my classroom. I believe that it promotes effective communication, teamwork, and problem solving, all things that are essential for kids to develop for the future. This could include group work and peer feedback which will help further foster a sense of community in my classroom.
Teacher-student relationships
I believe that prioritizing teacher-student relationships is essential for students’ motivation and growth. I hope to inspire my students to become better learners and give them a sense of belonging by showing them respect and care.
FE1
I observed many things throughout my first field experience. My cooperating teacher did an amazing job fostering a sense of community in her classroom which inspired me to want to do the same. I saw the benefits of implementing these values in the classroom which helped establish my personal teaching philosophy.
CURRICULUM VITAE
*Click "Contact Me" on the top right hand corner to e-mail me (or my contact information is at the bottom of the page) for my CV*
2022-Present
McGill University
I am a student in Kindergarten & Elementary Education at McGill University.
Montreal, QC, Canada