I am going to go out on a limb here and say that every single person has had both positive and negative learning experiences, in both traditional and unconventional learning environments. When reflecting on my personal learning experiences for this blog post, the first teacher who came to my mind as a creator of a positive learning environment was my high school biology teacher. This teacher was also my recreation leadership class instructor, as well as my basketball coach. Because of the different hats she wore in my life, I had a unique opportunity to bond with her. However, she gave all students the same treatment that she gave me. What I admired about her teaching style was how personable she was.

I attended a very rigid Catholic school where respect for our teachers and the hierarchy was demanded, and all rules were expected to be followed no matter what.

Michelle, my biology teacher, was not like the other teachers: she talked to us about real-world scenarios and didn’t hide from topics that didn’t follow Catholic teachings. She let us call her by her first name because she saw our education as a lateral learning experience. She was very aware of the fact that we all had unique challenges and lives outside of the classroom, and she was very supportive of us as individuals, not just as students. It was her genuine care for our well-being and success that resonated so much with me that I am still in contact with her to this day.

In this course, we talk a lot about theory and different ways to honour values and beliefs in the classroom. We talk about considering the diversity in the room and how we can best serve our current (or in my case future) students. I think my experience with Michelle is proof that colouring outside the lines and trying different approaches to work with students that might not necessarily be traditional can be extremely impactful for students.

Michelle showed me that even when you are part of a rigid system, you can still hold your values and beliefs and you can still make a lasting impact on people in unique ways.

In the future, I hope to combine the theories I have learned in this course with the practical experience I had with Michelle to contribute to that positive learning environment with whomever paths I cross.