ABC OF INQUIRY – BELIEF SYSTEMS
ABC of Inquiry – BELIEF SYSTEMS “You are what you breathe. You dream what you breathe” this quote by Jeanette Winterson in her book Gut Symmetries always reminds me how the deeply seated beliefs that we hold inform and impact on all our decisions. As teachers we have a responsibility to be aware of the belief systems we hold, their possibilities and their biases and how they might impact on ourselves and others in a learning community.
BELIEF SYSTEMS: I believe…
Belief systems are the rich foundations in our lives that help us make informed decisions. Parents, students and teachers all have belief systems that underpin how they perceive, understand and respond to the who, what, why and how of learning.
It is helpful to get to know what your learners and their parents/caregivers think and believe about teaching and learning, this will help you appreciate how they may view or experience different things that happen in the learning community.
Building relationships with the people in a learning community is as critical as achieving any learning (social, emotional. physical, academic) goal. By building a relationship we get to know our own and others’ belief systems and we can find constructive ways to work and learn together.
Being aware and reflecting on your own belief system can help teachers avoid or address biases and agendas that may influences both their interactions and the influences on their choices.
