Educational Philosophy | Sarabjeet Dev

Educational Philosophy – Learning, Relationships and Inclusion

My teaching rests on the belief that all students make progress when I teach explicitly, build genuine relationships in my classroom, plan actively for inclusion, and adjust based on what is actually happening with their learning.

Learning involves both thinking and interaction. Students need to see how to do something. They need examples worked through. But they also need space to talk about ideas—to reason together, to try things out, to gradually take responsibility for what they're learning. Darling-Hammond et al. (2020) found that when classrooms bring together the cognitive, social and emotional dimensions of learning, it works. The challenge is doing this honestly rather than as an add-on.

For Mathematics and Science I use the Gradual Release of Responsibility. I model what I'm doing, check if students are following, then reduce how much I'm doing so they can do more. Fisher and Frey (2021) describe this as purposeful movement from direct instruction toward independence. They are right that it works. The difficult question is knowing when to shift—the timing changes depending on what you are teaching and who is in your class.

I often hear explicit instruction and student agency described as opposing things. I do not think they are. You can't have agency without understanding how to do something first.

Differentiation matters, but it doesn't mean lowering what we expect students to learn. It means finding different paths into the same ideas. I start with what students already know and can do. Multiple ways of representing something, reasonable adjustments, close attention to what's blocking understanding—these let students access challenging material. Tomlinson (2014) calls this responsive teaching. It requires building a classroom where mistakes feel safe and where persistence is expected, not celebrated.

Educational Philosophy – Assessment, Partnership and Professional Growth

Assessment matters in my teaching because it tells me what students actually understand, and that shapes what I do next. I use questioning, observation, exit tasks, quizzes and student work to catch misconceptions, track progress and adjust accordingly. Hattie and Timperley (2007) emphasise that feedback works best when students understand where they're headed, how close they are and what to try next—and I build that into every feedback conversation I have. Keeping accurate records of what students have achieved means my reports are fairer and my professional judgements more defensible.

I also think education depends on parents and carers as genuine partners, not passive supporters. Children grow up inside families and communities, so the people who know them best should have real say in their learning. Goodall and Montgomery (2014) distinguish actual parental engagement—dialogue about learning—from the simpler involvement that gets mistaken for partnership. I aim for that kind of real dialogue: two-way, responsive to what families know about their children, and confidential.

Teaching is a profession that demands I think carefully about what I'm doing and why. The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers give me a framework to reflect against my own practice. Mentor feedback, what my students actually learn, conversations with other teachers and collaboration with specialists show me where I need to develop. My ideas will shift as I gain experience. I want to keep questioning whether my choices are fair, grounded in evidence, and genuinely serving the students in front of me—then actually do something about the gaps I find.

This philosophy is woven through my portfolio work: the way I involve families, the assessment systems I've designed, how I've handled confidential situations, and the partnerships I've built with specialists outside the classroom.