Lyndsay Saywell recently graduated with a Bachelor of Primary Education from the University of Canberra. She has a passion for teaching and health promotion. Her teaching philosophy is based on student-centered learning and giving students equal opportunities to explore and discover on their own. She aims to teach students the skills and knowledge to be active community members. Her ultimate goal is to facilitate active, inquiry-based learning where students solve problems and participate in their own education. She is committed to lifelong learning, collaboration, and reflecting on her own teaching to continually improve.

1. A bit about me:
My name is Lyndsay Saywell,and I am a passionate graduate teacher. I
recently graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of
Primary Education.Over the course of my degree I tookparticular interest in
units of health promotion. During my degree I studied abroad at the University
of Northern Colorado for one
semester. I have a great
passion and enthusiasm for
teaching and cannot wait for a
life-long career of learning and
teaching!
My teaching philosophy:
My philosophy of teaching is based on a belief that learning needs to be student
centred and that students need to be equal partners in the learning process. I hope to
give every individual child equal opportunity to learn by providing them with the tools they
need to explore and discover on their own. I aim to teach my students the skills and
knowledge necessary to be active and informed citizens of our community.
Goals & Foundational Principles
Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve -
Roger Lewin.
My ultimate objective as a teacher is to facilitate
learning by helping students to gain the necessary skills to
take control of and become active participants in their own
learning. I believe that knowledge gained through active
participation is knowledge that will stay with an individual
student. Thus my approach to teaching reflects this
philosophy and I endeavour to practice teaching that
engages students in their own learning within my classroom.
This approach has been proven to be successful through
inquiry learning where students are active participants in
their learning through questioning and problem solving.
Ultimately I want my students to actively participate, rather than passively learn.
Commitment to being a life-long learner
“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” – Phil Collins
I believe that as a teacher, continuing to learn, taking on new research and experimenting
with new information is a valuable part of achieving the best results from students and yourself as
a teacher. As a teacher, the best learning comes from reflective practice and learned mistakes
from within the classroom. I endeavour to be
continually moving forward and growing by
making a conscious effort to be a life-long
learner as a passionate graduate teacher.
Constantly reflecting and seeking the
feedback and assistance from those more
experienced teachers will be an essential part
of my teaching practice to continually grow
and develop. As I approach my teaching, I
will do so with enthusiasm and with a wealth
of learned knowledge to keep up with the
growing changes and successful teaching
philosophies.

2. Learning and teaching through collaboration
“Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is
success.”– Henry Ford
I strive to implement collaborative strategies through multiple levels to create a safe
and successful atmosphere that encourages the application of knowledge to new
situations. My philosophy of teaching asserts that students are entitled to quality instruction in
an active and stimulating learning environment with the active participation and involvement
from all stakeholders. I believe that optimal learning outcomes require strong home-school
partnerships, as well as strong school-teacher relationships. Accordingly, I endeavour to provide
clear and continuous communication and encourage parent participation in the learning
environment. Within my teaching profession I endeavour to explore and communicate with fellow
colleagues to develop my teacher-teacher collaborative approach to achieve success from all
students.
Professional Skills and Aspirations:
The personal strengths and skills I bring to
teaching.
My professional goals, strategies and skills I
aim to develop through my teaching career
I am:
 enthusiastic about teaching, and learning;
 dedicated to providing each child with an
equal opportunity to learn,
 understanding to children’s needs and
stages of development;
 passionate about providing a safe and
nurturing environment;
 willing to learn under any circumstances,
taking direction from any mentor or role
model;
 empathetic towards children and what
issues or problems they may be
confronting;
 flexible to change;
 hard-working and willing to commit as
much of my time to achieve results and
success in the classroom;
 excited to learn new techniques and
broaden my knowledge of practices that
are effective in the classroom;
 determined and committed to becoming a
high quality teacher.
I want to:
 continually reflect on my practice and
demonstrate my commitment to lifelong
learning by seeking out appropriate
collegial support and furthering my own
professional development;
 meet the needs of all students and
stakeholders involved in the learning
process;
 actively engage all my students in
learning experiences;
 earn the respect of my students through
my knowledge and professionalism in the
classroom;
 exercise a variety behaviour management
practices;
 monitor individual achievement and
provide appropriate on-going feedback;
 foster individual learning experiences;
 recognise the importance of flexibility
within the school program;
 plan and prepare effectively;
 provide my students with the skills and
knowledge necessary to equip them to be
active and informed citizens.