On a recent Early Childhood placement, I felt the enormity of the real responsibility of a teacher. I have been a qualified teacher for 13 years and always consider myself to be developing and learning. As part of the required documentation I had to write about ‘My Teaching Philosophy’.
Writing ‘My Teaching Philosophy’ was super simple as I decided to just write what I felt to be true for me. I spoke from the practice of my daily living and working in the role of a teacher. To me, teaching is about connecting to the kids first.
In essence, this is what I wrote:
My teaching philosophy is very simple… it is based around three key elements:
- I like to make sure the children know that they matter and are valued – that they are being heard, and that they are seen, felt and ‘met’ for the amazing beings they naturally are, rather than being recognised solely for what they do or achieve in the classroom.
- Taking responsibility for truly caring for myself. I know that the way that I care for myself brings a certain quality to my presence, which I then naturally bring to the way I interact with the children in my classroom. I now understand the primary importance of self-care and the ripple effect it has on others. The children feel this level of self-responsibility and they feel safe and nurtured which allows for freedom of expression and joy within the kids, and thus an excellent learning environment is created.
- To the best of my ability I make learning meaningful, fun, engaging and filled with purpose… this creates a feeling of equal-ness in the classroom and learning becomes effortless. I feel that we have an opportunity as teachers to bring this to all areas of education.
In my teaching practice I know that children thrive when they:
- Are engaged with eye contact and a caring voice.
- Feel heard and understood by their educators and classmates.
- Are allowed the time to process information and develop in their own way.
I have realised that children feel everything around them and that we as educators have an enormous opportunity to reflect something pretty amazing and special to them, if we choose to. Children need to feel free to express their feelings and be in a space where their feelings are honoured and not overridden or brushed off. We all feel, and children are extremely in-tune with what is happening around them. Children can spot hypocrisy a mile away.
We must be real. Students do need to experience a wide range of learning activities and are required to meet many outcomes within their schooling. However, I have experienced that teachers who build quality relationships with children know what is needed for each child to learn in a way that works for him or her.
For me, true learning stems from the children. It is a result of what makes sense to them and has meaning. No one likes to learn something if they cannot on some level understand the purpose behind it. As kids love fun and playfulness, I aim to offer students learning of concrete and important information through play and engaging them wherever I can.
I have come to the understanding that children know a lot more than we as adults give them credit for. They know and sense what way works best for them…
As a teacher, I continue to ask myself:
- How can I further support their knowing and being?
- Am I doing anything that gets in the way of their natural way of being and learning?
- Is my way of being, my classroom and conduct all about people first or task first?
When we make it about relationships and people first… the teaching part becomes simple.
As Teachers we have Amazing Opportunities!
This afternoon I had another ‘Whoa’ moment. I felt with all of me the actual and true responsibility that teachers have, whether we choose to claim it, avoid it, or sadly in some cases, abuse it.
I felt…
- A knowing and understanding that educators are with the kids for the same amount of time that they are with their parents each school day.
- That each teacher has the same opportunity as the child’s parents in supporting the kids to have a strong sense of self and to be healthy and confident individuals.
- That we have an opportunity to not only educate that child but to reflect, to inspire and foster within them a true way of being.
As teachers we have the potential to not only teach but to fully support children in learning how to be in their fullness and amazingness within society and Our World. This means – how they actually are with others!!! If kids grow up to be adults who are living in their fullness, the rest of humanity benefits. So why is this not our main priority?
I then realised another amazing opportunity teachers have.
What would our world be like if all children grew up, supported and educated in a way that said . . .
“Just be You. You are already Awesome. Now let’s give you the support and training in all subjects while you ascertain what you feel drawn to pursue and thus study further so you may eventually bring your awesomeness to the world, in the profession in which you choose to bring it.”
Possibilities for True Change
What if all children had role models who reflected back to them that…
Choosing how they could BE as a grown up, without changing themselves to suit their boss, or putting on a different face for their family or compromising their true self in any way, shape or form…
How powerful and unified would our future generations be if all children were supported to:
- Develop an unwavering trust in themselves,
- Know how to honour themselves and therefore others,
- Truly self-care so that they always looked after their bodies,
- Develop and practice a way of speaking that is clear, without any force and in a way that does not leave anyone feeling lesser?
Teaching – from our Quality of Being First
The fact is, all of this can come from how any of us as teachers actually choose to behave and live. It is not another program to be implemented on top of everything else, to achieve something, but something that can be felt completely from the way each of us, as teachers, chooses to be first with ourselves, and then with others. This can then be brought to the children in the classroom and school environment.
Writing ‘My Teaching Philosophy’ has confirmed for me that my quality as the teacher, the space, the engagement and interaction I provide in every moment of every day, will determine what is reflected to the children, what will be felt by them, and what will be there to inspire them or not. My philosophy is a lived one. It is lived each day by me in full to the best of my ability, with no perfection but definitely with a loving intention and dedication. A Living and Lived philosophy!
Inspired by the presentations of Serge Benhayon and the way he has reflected true teaching through the quality of his presence, and the knowledge he has shared. Thank you to Universal Medicine.
By Johanna Smith, Bachelor of Education, Perth, WA
761 Comments
Johanna if all children were taught in this way what absolutely amazing connected adults we could have on the earth. Thank you for your expression.
This is a truly inspirational read and I love your teaching philosophy, definitely one to revisit. What comes to light though is that so much that’s been expressed is applicable in all areas of life. Therefore how the teacher is is super important as this way of being is reflected and felt by the children so they can choose to work in this way as they grow up. Thank you, Johanna.
I agree Monica, a fabulous article by Johanna. This article should be in schools as an inspiration to all teachers to know how simple it is when they relate and meet the child for who they are and allow the wisdom within each individual to shine through.
and also how important it is for the teachers to meet themselves. There is no way any of us can really meet children, as Johanna has so beautifully described, without caring for and loving ourselves too.
That would be so cool. Teaching 101- Care, Quality and True Responsibility.
Start writing the 101 course Johanna and take it to your education departments. It is much needed.
Yes, Johanna, write 101 course and as Vanessa says, take it it to your education department. Fabulous article so clearly presenting true education.
Johanna Frederick, I absolutely loved reading every word you’ve written. It is so true: who can our children be if they are just met and encouraged and supported to just BE WHO THEY ARE. The children you work with are so blessed to have you in their life. Although I don’t work with children, as I was reading I reflected on the profession I work in and started to have a sense of: this is the quality I too can bring to my work. Seeing and meeting every colleague and every client as I would a child – meeting them with the same love, care and sensitivity. Thank you for the inspiration. It has brought a whole other purpose to why we go to wotk.
Thank you Shevon. I love your enthusiasm.
I was just sharing with a dear friend the other day how I love work. How I love to see and be with the kids, to know what is going on for them next and support them in what they need. I am excited to go to work. I wake up and I get ready with a love for those I work with and teach.
So you are totally correct, anyone in any profession can also feel this and have this as their purpose. How awesome for your clients and colleagues to be met in the care, love and grace you provide.
Amazing Johanna – I wish you were my teacher! I hope all teachers read this! having said that we are all teachers really, we all interact with lots of people who have not yet felt what you speak about – we all have the opportunity to do what you are doing, with each other…. beautiful
‘We are all teachers really’ – that is so true Rachael.
Nicely pointed out Rachel.
Very true, we are all teachers. The way we live each day with everyone around us is teaching something.
‘“Just be You. You are already Awesome. Now let’s give you the support and training in all subjects while you ascertain what you feel drawn to pursue and thus study further so you may eventually bring your awesomeness to the world, in the profession in which you choose to bring it.”’ Wow Johanna! I am a student myself, and at this present time am doing my first set of proper exams (GCSE’s) which will then be visible on my CV and the results determine what I can study in further education (e.g. A Levels, University). I can see a huge difference between what you write about assuring children that they are amazing first and foremost; then giving them encouragement to choose the learning style, subjects etc that THEY feel drawn to, instead of how many of my teachers (who in fairness simply have not been shown another way), pressure their students to achieve very very highly and do well in every subject, overwhelm them with the well over-exaggerated and intimidating ‘target grades’ that if students do not meet they may have to keep retaking the exams, which after then being mixed with the teachers themselves becoming stressed and tired, they then expect us to be able to choose a career path or profession based from all that confusion?
Thank you Susie.
I would have felt so supported as a child and a teenager if I was told that I am already everything and that this is just about giving you some techniques and skills so you can go onto sharing your awesomeness in the field you choose.
So Susie- You are Awesome and go for it in your exams knowing that your results are just that, results of recalling. You being you is the biggest treasure you can have.
So much pressure is put on us regarding exams but the reality is there are many different ways in life to actually get into the profession we want to be in.
Well said Susie. I am at the moment studying in University and it is again the same thing. It is about acquiring the techniques and knowledge but it is given to you in a way that that is all that matters. And like you said I understand why they do it that way, they haven’t learned any other way them selves! But my point is that there is so much more to be taught like how to take care of yourself, how to be yourself and most important know you are amazing no matter what you do.
Wow this is so cool and inspiring Johanna. Such a deep level of responsibility but I can also feel the joy you bring to all the children, teachers and parents as well. I see this lived philosophy is transferable to all elements of our lives and every career that exists.
I love the simplicity with which you have delivered something that could completely change education and give children the best possible start to life. I am going to give this blog to my friend who is looking to start a degree in early years learning, because she also can see the importance that the way children go through school can have on their whole lives. Thank you for sharing this, and thank you for the difference you are making in your school.
Wow this is amazing to read Johanna, I had tears in my eyes feeling how incredible it would be if teachers taught, “Just be You. You are already Awesome. Now let’s give you the support and training in all subjects while you ascertain what you feel drawn to pursue and thus study further so you may eventually bring your awesomeness to the world, in the profession in which you choose to bring it.”
Johanna, this is superb. It would be so awesome if we had a world full of teachers like yourself, the next generation would turn all the world issues on their head, but fortunately we do not need to wait for everyone we can start today with ourselves. It is awesome the work you are doing.
I agree Vanessa. Great point about us starting today with ourselves, in the knowing that we can make a difference by taking responsibility for ourselves and choosing to live in a more loving and understanding way with all.
I agree Vanessa, the biggest change can start small, one by one, until someday, every teacher will educate the way Johanna is presenting. What an amazing day that will be.
Wow, that is a long way from scoring points on ofsted charts!
Johanna, this is so obviously and beautifully true, all that you have said, yet politicians and those who devise the curriculum seem to lack the insight to support teachers in this way. How can we bring more attention to this way of being with children which is so important for us all if we want to bring change to the way children are pushed into the continual abusive ways that have been lived for many generations? I go into school to help 8 and 9 year olds read. I have found it to be a living and learning experience. I go in with the intention to respect the children for who they are, and learn through play. We do less reading and more talking! yet their reading and their joy in reading improves in leaps and bounds, and their understanding of the text deepens. The teacher has recognised this, and has told me I bring more depth to these children’s experience than any other helper, but does not know why or how. You have shown me it is time to share that with her. And so every little truth expressed will grow and spread.
Beautiful to read your experience of helping with reading in schools Joan, ‘I go in with the intention to respect the children for who they are, and learn through play.’ Amazing to see how if we connect to children and respect them for who they are then their reading and understanding improves naturally.
It’s very true Rebecca. It is a joy to read here all the testimonies from parents who are taking this way into the classroom and seeing incredible shifts in the children as a consequence.
I conduct research interviews with the parents of 2 and 3 year old children. At one stage the parents get to input their answers into the computer themselves and I have some stickers for the children to play with. These stickers don’t detach from the backing easily, so I help out.
It is such a delight to ask which sticker the children would like next. They always know, and it’s never the next one in line!
This is amazing Johanna. Your philosophy for teaching is required to be in every teaching manual and course. To meet the children, listen and appreciate them is truly beautiful and offers them the chance to blossom and grow.
Your mention of the responsibility to care for yourself also stood out as a huge area to be included within the teacher training process.
Thank you for sharing your profound article with us.
Thank you for your blog Johanna, there are some great points mentioned. If all the classes around the world were taught like this, life would be so different. There would be a genuine respect for each other and a willingness to truly engage with each other, without the guards we develop to keep us protected. What you are giving these children is a true gift.
Your philosophy is awesome Johanna and is reflected in your everyday classroom practice. I really admire your quality of looking at the whole child and all of their needs.
Thankyou for sharing.
Agreed Sharon
I enjoyed reading this article. A very profound philosophy for teaching. There is so much to learn from sharing time with young children. Children are not easily fooled and can feel who you are and easily sense when you are hiding behind a mask of trying to portray an image of how you wish to be seen. A teacher is a daily role model for the children and we all have enduring memories of our teachers and I still hold a lasting affection for those teachers I knew were showing me the truth of who they were while supporting me in learning to live in the world.
Wow Johanna. Your philosophy should be on the syllabus for every teacher required course everywhere. What an amazing world we live in, with people like you in it and the ripples in the pond you are creating.
Great comment Steve. It would transform a profession that is put under an enormous strain to pump out A grade students into a profession that teaches children how to care for themselves and ultimately one another. There is nothing more heart wrenching than seeing a child who is withdrawn and closed down due to feeling a failure at school. What Johanna offers us is the option to meet every child just for who they are first, not what they can do and support the child to know they are amazing regardless of their achievements. The teenagers I know who have been met in this way are confident, active kids who have a wisdom and maturity beyond their years, coupled with a great sense of fun. They have a lot to offer the world already and they are not even adults yet. There is much wisdom in Johanna’s philosophy we would do well to heed.
I agree Steve and Rowena, every teacher should start with the same basis and philosophy which Johanna has, essentially putting people first over results etc. – children respond so well to being truly met for who they are, and by doing this at a young age we give them permission to grow up as themselves not feeling they have to be a certain way to fit into the world.
Hear hear Steve, very well said,
Johanna, I really appreciate that you have voiced what teaching is all about “When we make it about relationships and people first… the teaching part becomes simple.” – the relationships before tasks is such a simple concept yet many teachers struggle with because the system is so task demanding. I know from my own teaching practice that the love I have for each of my students is felt by them before anything else and although the learning environment can be challenging, especially in the state secondary sector, my lived quality supports them in feeling accepted, accepting of themselves (self worth is often very low) and safe. With this foundation we inch forwards but solidly in terms of progress and learning. Most importantly however my students get space and permission to simply be themselves.
Thank you Johanna, this is deeply inspiring as soon I am beginning a new placement with my local school as a class room assistant where my only role is to support the children. Your article has helped me to understand how important this job is, my huge responsibility to care for myself outside of school hours, the value of the children’s time spent with me, and how being playful is actually a part of the whole package – not something to be left outside the classroom because ‘now we are learning’. In the way you have described working with children I can see that honouring the natural playfulness that is already there is integral to children’s work and learning and I love that this helps them to actually feel met for who they are. What an incredible role model you are.
Johanna it is so amazing to read this, knowing that you are actively working with children everyday in such a consistent and sure footed manner. Your philosophy offers us a new future in the classroom, one where our primary concern is not that the child can read and write by the age of 5 (before their brains are neurologically prepared for such a task) but that the child develops their own self trust, self care and confidence first. I can feel just how solid, caring and loving your presence is in the classroom and that the children feel completely safe with you. And its true, once we are able to convey the purpose behind what we are learning it supports us to have a go, to open up and take a risk. When you are young, the simplest of tasks can seem like a big risk if you don’t feel properly supported and loved. What a blessing to the education system you are and thank you for sharing your philosophy.
I love this response Rowena, I agree it is key for children to develop their sense of self, of trust, care ,and confidence. And, yes, there has to be a purpose to what is being learnt, many children rightly want to know that what they are learning will be useful after school.
Rowena, I love how you have summed the essence of learning – that a child needs to start trusting, caring and to develop confidence in themselves first before they can learn. This is not fostered in every child in the system as it is so outcome driven. Results are put before anything else often at the expense of those very qualities you mention. It is no wonder that so many teenagers are disengaged and turned off learning. It is great to know that there are teachers (and there are many) that despite the system and all its demands can still put love first and enable students to feel met and safe.
What glorious and true picture you paint, Johanna, of how teaching (and parenting) could, should and can be.Your article brings great clarity to how best to support the development of children. The 3 initial points you outline are fundamental and so simply said that they are easy to be understood and built upon.
Thank you for sharing Johanna, I know I would have loved to have had you as one of my teachers and also would love my (future) kids to be treated the way you treat the children in your classroom, by meeting and honouring them for who they truly are not what they achieve.
Hi Johanna, wow – what a fantastic article and a truly awesome philosophy! I can feel your love and dedication to not only the children that you teach but to humanity also. What an incredible contribution you make! You’re a true inspiration and a wonderful role model for your fellow teachers and children, and indeed us all! If these principles were felt and lived by everyone in the teaching profession what a difference this would make in the world! It’s enormous and would create a whole new foundation built on honouring people first and foremost. Your approach makes so much sense and is so fundamentally important to a child’s development, it really does beg the question – why are our schools not promoting these kind of ethics and practices in our schools as a matter of course?
Great question Heather! Thank you for your heartfelt appreciation.
Johanna, your Teaching Philosophy is brilliant! It deserves to be the first lesson for all aspiring teachers and a foundational document for education departments worldwide. Imagine what an amazing ripple effect (correction – Tsunami effect) would be achieved.
I must add that your Teaching Philosophy is not only for educators – it’s a precious document for all parents.
and for everywhere we go – in any job, at home, in all of our interactions. We can all be teachers beyond the classroom, just by the way that we are.
I’d love to come to your class Johanna, to feel the joyful inspiration you share.
What I can do is take this inspiration of true connection to all people with me into my day and work.
Thank you.
I love your philosophy beautifully expressed. I felt these are really important questions to ask as well
“How can I further support their knowing and being?”
“Am I doing anything that gets in the way of their natural way of being and learning?”
“Is my way of being, my classroom and conduct all about people first or task first?”
What I am finding is its really important to ask myself similar questions on a daily basis, working with young people really helps me to see this. To reflect at the end of the day and see how I could, or if I could, have done anything differently or better that supported them to be all that they are. Constant learning, thank you for sharing.
These are great additions Vicky. And considering what you have said, I can see the relevance of similar questions in other places of work, or in fact with all relationships. Thanks.
Johanna it was lovely to read about your teaching philosophy. As adults we can all remember that special teacher who we felt understood us and encouraged us from that understanding. ‘Just be you because you are already awesome.’ Imagine if that was what all educational institutions had as a foundation, together with your 3 simple key elements. That would be something.
That would be something indeed Debra!
I agree!
Deborah this would be life changing if we had been confirmed at school with ‘Just be you because you are already awesome!’4
If we all had someone who felt our awesomeness as a child and nourished that total awesomeness I have no doubt it would lay the foundations for many to blossom as adults who claimed their total awesomeness.
‘I feel that we have an opportunity as teachers to bring this to all areas of education.’ What jumped out at me when I read your blog, Johanna, was how pertinent and applicable your 3-element teaching philosophy is to working in business too, not solely for the realm of education. Indeed, those three elements are true pillars of any endeavour, any enterprise and even more simply, at the level of everyday interactions and relationships. You’ve given something here that benefits all.
Cathy I thought that too, how things could flow in offices if managers (and indeed everyone) brought to work the care and presence that Johanna brings to her classroom, and then used what Johanna said about engaging with eye contact, fully hearing and understanding, and allowing people the time to process information and develop in their own way, to interactions with team members. It is that last one, ‘allowing people time to process information in their own way’, that I have found to be most absent in offices, and which I am looking forward to giving particular attention to. I can feel the extent to which I did not allow this, and how different things could be if I did.
Yes, just having a teacher with eye contact and not just eye contact when they are in ‘teaching’ mode. That makes for a really nice teacher and from my experience, an unusual teacher.
That’s very true Cathy; Johanna’s amazing teaching approach can be applied not just in education, but for all professions and businesses.
Dear Johanna,
Thank you for your clear, loving and powerful reflection on your Teaching Philosophy. You have brought to the teaching profession a new marker of the qualities and understanding that go with the responsibility of being present with children and helping them navigate their way through the education system and setting a platform for their future life.
As I prepare myself to go into the classroom today I will be held and supported by the sharing you have offered to me as a teacher. I know that when I am in my essence throughout the day, the children respond as they feel met and are open to learning. I have found that children also are quick to give you feedback when you lose this, giving me an opportunity to step up and remember ‘people first, then tasks’. A beautiful blog, thank you.
Thank you Megan for your appreciation. How lucky are the kids in your class to be met with such care and connection. You are right- the kids respond beautifully to being met and connected to and they are the first to let you know when it’s not there too.
Johanna, thank-you from the depths of my heart for articulating a philosophy I’ve held dear since I too, began teaching. Having a philosophy used to be regarded as superfluous, something we had to do before we commenced our career but not really to be taken seriously or actually adhered to. Yet it is the true foundation that when brought with conscious awareness and indeed, presence, enables the true connections between the teacher and students. I love your Whoa! moment, too. As teachers we are ‘loco parentis’ – in place of parents and the responsibility of this is enormous and something I feel keenly to this day. As a high school teacher, this can mean you are teaching/parenting up to 150+ students and I’ve learnt never to underestimate the sphere of influence we have as we develop connections and relationships with each student’s family. It feels awesome to know that as my teaching career is winding up, there are inspiring and truly self-caring teachers stepping in. Learning is fun when we are allowed to just naturally be. That’s my Philosophy!
Thank you Peta. Your sharing is beautiful and I can feel how blessed your many students and students parents are to have you in their lives. These relationships are super important and it is awesome to hear and feel that many teachers around the world, just like you, are making people, love, connection and relationships their foundation to educate from.
Dear Johanna, I am blown away by your amazing blog and summary of what it means to be a true teacher. Your love for the children and everyone is very much felt, and your dedication to bringing that quality through day to day and meeting each and every one of them is really beautiful. It leaves me feeling that there is a more respectful and caring way of education well and truly on its way.
What Johanna has shared with us is a very real and tangible way that we can bring change to our systems – through how we are. We all know that something has to change and what Johanna has shared is the missing link.
Thank you Janet- There are an abundance of caring teachers out there. True change is well on its way.
Thank you Johanna for such a beautiful understanding of working with children, and indeed with anyone we meet.
Awesome read Johanna!
Thank you for what you bring to education and I can feel the impact this makes on the whole system let alone the lives of those you meet each day and how you connect with whom they truly are. What a gift.
I totally agree Bernadette. Let’s not underestimate the impact Johanna is making to the whole education system, not least to the lives of those children and whoever will come into contact with them hence forth.
This article is profound, and one that I will reread. Imagine if all schools taught their children in this way, would we not be a different world entirely? We are so fortunate to have the likes of you Johanna working in this way as the world is in dyer need for this as the teachers are either exhausted or caught up in just getting results based on the pressure put on them which leaves the pupils/children deflated, exhausted or seeking to do well to please their school/parents all of which does not meet the children/pupils for who they are (Loving Sons Of God).
Amina it is so true what you say there are so many teachers exhausted, with pressure of the pupils getting great grades, and the pressures of the work load, I see this in my sister who is a great teacher and loves her job.
Yes so true Amita and Amina. Teachers do enter the system because they fundamentally care for children. Teachers are amazing and it is a shame when this passion becomes a little lost because of the pressures around. I have found that the more I care for myself I not only can share a lovely quality with the children but I actually have more energy, presence and confidence to deal with the workload and pressures that the school environment can bring. We must also remember that adults and teachers of today are also products of the system. Knowing the power of the ripple effect, inspires me more to take responsibility for myself and for the way I care for myself. I choose to care and meet myself and those around me in the way I wish I had been seen, met and cared for as I grew up. Which is actually what we all deserve.
I can really relate to what you have shared Johanna and a world with true consideration for each other and true integrity for our children will indeed truly support this world moving forward. To have all children treated with the respect and integrity they deserve shows us the simplicity of how this world can be and also how far from it we are currently living.
Johanna I love this article, it is truly inspiring. What you write in your teaching philosophy and the way you are choosing to live in relationship to your role as a teacher can provide a perfect model for everyone in any area of life. The level of care, integrity and responsibility you offer your young students is a beautiful foundation for all relationships. And how perfect that you are blessing so many at an early stage of their life with what you offer.
Yes its so true Golnaz, it is a blessing to offer a child such a solid start in their life, educating them in all aspects of life, not just in one narrow remit. Building relationships is one of the most fundamental and essential areas of our lives and what better start can you have than having a teacher who teaches you how to do that everyday within the classroom. One can feel how every child receives that care and attention and is supported to truly grow.
Yes, I love the fact that children feel met from this quality that I choose to live in in their first stages of their education. It is a beautiful foundation for them.
Thank you Golnaz. I love these words you have chosen to use, ‘choosing to live in relationship with your role’. They can be applied to every person and to which every role they choose to partake in in life.
Wow, what you bring to the children who are blessed to have you as their teacher is truly amazing! I loved what you said about making it about people first and then tasks – all too often as a mother and at work, I think ‘if we can just get all the tasks out of the way, we can have time to spend with each other’. I now understand why this doesn’t work. I feel truly inspired by your livingness that you bring, not only to the children who you teach, but to all of humanity.
Yes Carmin! I totally understand. I have also felt this as a mother, we can get lost with all we have to do. Mothers like Teachers have a deep level of care. I have found that the ‘to do list’ or ‘looking after others’ at times has been put before me caring for myself and also me truly stopping to engage and and show true care to others. I now know that aside from the practical and obvious mothering duties I do – that my true job with my daughter is to meet her in the eyes. I have found that by stopping and meeting her in the eyes that we have amazing moments and conversations together. She is open and knows that I hold her with a deep level of care and respect. I also know that she then takes this level to the other environments she goes into.
Hi Carmin, just reading your comment this morning was actually exactly what I needed to read, it highlighted an area of the blog, about making everything about people rather than getting the tasks done and then having time to spend with people! This is what life is truly about – thanks.
I totally agree, Carmin. This is a very inspiring blog and applicable to whatever we do, whether it is as a mother, father or in the workplace. And if we make it about connection first and the tasks and goals second, then the latter just flows and gets easily done. Plus we are left with all the vitality and joy that Johanna exemplifies.
Thank you Carmin. This year at the moment, I get to visit many schools through relief work and I have to say I am loving bringing my quality, my light and wisdom to others.
This is a solid gold nugget of a blog. There is so much wisdom in what you present about teaching I can only imagine every teacher would be inspired by reading this.
I agree Stephen, this is a solid gold nugget of a blog, full of wisdom and inspiration.
Absolutely Stephen – and if any teachers were not inspired by this amazing blog one would have to ask why? So many in the teaching profession feel like they have given up, but with teachers like Johanna who are pure gold, there is the possibility of a new foundation for the education system being built.
Thank you. I agree Stephen. Every time I come back and visit this blog and read the comments I feel the same. It is full of wisdom. The more I deepen with me the more I appreciate just what I bring to teaching and have shared about teaching.
Johanna, this blog is truly beautiful and so inspiring to read. How different children are when fully met with the qualities you are bringing to the classroom and later how different as adults – not carrying protective shields to ward off the hurts experienced in childhood when not met.
I love this – “Just be You. You are already Awesome”. I have been saying something similar to our grandchildren whenever we see them and there is a glow that returns to their eyes.
There’s a glow that’s come to my eyes reading your comment about your grandchildren Stephanie. They are blessed to have you in their lives.
How amazing for your grandchildren Stephanie. I can feel how awesome that would feel for them.
Stephanie, what you have written about how you are with your grandchildren and how they respond feels gorgeous. I’m appreciating how wonderful it would be if this were common place between adults and children in all situations, families, schools, clubs etc. I used to feel that once we are all grown up we lose the cuteness of how we were when we were little but actually we don’t and I see we are just as adorable. When I interact with people from a just be you place people light up!
This is gorgeous Stephanie and Angela, “just be you. You are already awesome”. How amazing for a child to hear this and not have to prove anything, knowing that they are already enough.
It is true Rebecca and as we live in a world that currently does not support this, it makes it more important to really acknowledge this taking place so that we can start to make changes for ourselves and our children.
That’s beautiful Stephanie!
Stephanie your words just make me shine from the inside out. Simply gorgeous.
This is gorgeous Stephanie. When a child is confirmed that they are already amazing is simply awesome and such a loving thing to do… there is nothing more a child would want in that moment.
Johanna, I wish every teacher could read your philosophy with it’s eye opening, heart opening potential.
I feel that this is truly what “the power of love” is all about.
As I read your words I can feel the profound difference in how you teach and how I, and most of us, experienced school.
I know that the chances a child would thrive and blossom into well rounded success would be huge if we could offer more of this kind of whole hearted and respectful interaction and role modeling.
I love that you ask us to imagine what they, as adults, would be like if children grew up “without changing themselves to suit their boss, or putting on a different face for their family or compromising their true self in any way, shape or form…”
I trust people would be non short of Amazing.
I totally agree Jo and feel that we are in prime point in life where we can actually start to make true change with teachers living in this way, imagine what this world could be like if all schools experienced this.
I agree Jo and Amina, to give our children the opportunity to grow up ‘without changing themselves to suit their boss, or putting on a different face for their family or compromising their true self in any way, shape or form…’ We can do this in the home and also through teachers like Johanna, who put the children first and who truly love and care for them. It only takes one person in each childs life to show them that it is ok and possible to be themselves for them to have the confidence to stay true to what they are feeling and not change to fit in with others around them.
I agree James, it just takes one person to show that child it is alright to be themselves and that what they feel is natural and ok. What a gift to give any child.
I see how important it is in this day and age to meet children and let them be themselves without imposing on them what you want and expect of them. I also observe that this is not the norm in society as the pressure to do well and be a certain way are very high and can run so deep that children find it difficult to stay themselves. I feel that the more teachers who meet children in this way, the greater the opportunity there will be for children to just be themselves in this world.
And this is also true of anyone Tim. I know for me it was the reflection of Serge Benhayon that inspired me through his quality. I always felt that I was already ok and an equal and this is something I returned to as an adult. That is pretty powerful in itself!
Great comments James and Tim; it depends on the child, but being supported and being given permission to be as a child is, is the best thing a small child can learn for their growth and ability to healthily contribute to the world.
It would be amazing for everyone, the children would really love it and how amazing adults they would turn out to be.
I agree Jo, it is amazing that this kind of teaching is available – and although it has not always been my experience, I have had a few amazing teachers that really inspire me and meet me for me. It completely changes the way we learn and the way we grow and develop.
Imagining what adult children will grow up to be is important for all who are involved in supporting children and also for the children themselves. Sometimes in my classes I ask the kids to tell me about adults they like, admire, enjoy being with and why ? I also ask them what kind of adult would they like to be and how can they be that now. This is beautiful because it also outs the responsibility on the child as well as the adults who support that little person.
This is true Jo. I know from the way I use tone in life that it is actually exhausting putting on a whole bunch of different faces to suit an array of different people and circumstances. I love the fact that I can just be me and express from my heart in my words and actions at home, at work, with friends and teach. This is always and will always be an unfolding and deepening but definitely a learning that I will never chose to not have.
Johanna, I taught many many years ago and recall at the time how natural it felt to connect and develop relationships with the children I was teaching, and so I can relate to many of the things that you have outlined as part of your teaching philosophy. However what I now realise was missing back then was the essential element in ‘taking responsbility for truly caring for myself’. Through the inspiring teachings of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, I am learning that self-care and the quality I live in is the basis for any true relationship (beginning with relationship with self)… I love how you have provided us the especially important reminder that we – whether educators, parents, or otherwise (and regardless of profession, age, gender etc.) – have the opportunity to encourage and inspire the children of our generation to live this same way.
Great points Angela, and it feels appropriate here to appreciate just how much we may also be inspiring people of all ages at a given moment…we just don’t know. But we do have the responsibility everyone does. it’s just how you choose to own that responsibility…Universal Medicine has always offered me a great reminder of this, and I truly relish this understanding.
I completely agree Phil, it puts into perspective how much responsibility we have, we never know when the moment we decide to act out, be irresponsible is the moment a child is watching, learning.
Spot on Rebecca. Teaching and learning is not just what we see at school, it is happening every moment of every day.
absolutely Rebecca and Vicky and we re responsible for not only our children or the ones we hold dear but for every child equally so.
As a song by Glorious Music says “we are all teachers in this world”
True Rebecca. Not only is a child watching and learning but the truth is that everything we do and the way we choose affects everyone- those around us and also society as a whole.
Rebecca, we are being watched all the time, there is no mement when a child is not watching us, they are so connected and can feel instantly and will pickup things in an instant
Yes Angela, it is so important that as teachers we live a true relationship with ourselves. The quality of what we live is deeply felt by everyone we come into contact with, especially so for the children and pupils in our care. If we live in disregard of ourselves and carry the resultant negativity of this we are not providing living examples of what we are imparting – it is all just talk. As the children feel this they can see it for what it is, they know it is not the truth and they get hurt by it, later on down the line overriding their own truth just like we did, giving up and accepting that this is how life is. When children can see and feel a teacher imparting knowledge in a quality that is loving and all encompassing it inspires them to maintain that lovely connection with themselves. That quality becomes far more important than the learning of facts and yet that learning becomes super easy and fun.
What a blessing for each child being taught in Johannas’ classroom. This builds in them a strong foundation to take into adulthood and pass onto the next generation. Sure, it begins with self-love and self-care first, but truly ‘meeting’ children and allowing them to express themselves in full is pure gold and should be encouraged.
What an inspiration you are Johanna.
I second that Sandra, how blessed are the students in Johanna’s class?! They will remember you Johanna as one of those teachers who saw them for who they truly are. What a gift you give every day!
Yes, I wish Johanna was my teacher. I would like to hear more about how the kids from her class develop in life in contrast to other pupils. Wouldn’t that be amazing to see in evidence.
Teachers like yourself and Johanna who connect with children are not all that common and to be deeply appreciated. But I agree with what you are saying Angela, that it is the care for self that makes the difference, otherwise who is doing the caring?
One of the most beautiful things to do with children is to build a relationship with them, and this has been my way in dentistry. They are not a set of teeth, but delicate people, and those first interactions set the pattern for their dental life from that point forward. Meeting them with openness and joy knowing who they are is the only way I have found.