My name is Gabrielle Favron (she/they), and I believe that the profession of teaching is one that is relationship-based. As a teacher, I want to create an environment of empathy, inclusion, and care, which will foster engagement and passion. The classroom is a meaningful space of exploration and connection that allows students to be supported in their unique talents, strengths, and interests whilst making mistakes, learning new skills, and overcoming challenges.
As a learner, I used to be a perfectionist, and I struggled with accepting my own mistakes. This mindset negatively impacted my learning because I was afraid of being wrong or taking extra time to understand a subject. My schooling experience felt impounded by getting the best grades, rather than the learning experience itself. I want learners to see that this is a regular and necessary part of being a learner. I decided that my mistakes demonstrated my best work because they were the areas that I learned the most new things. This shifted my value of learning from achieving high grades to the explorative nature of learning itself. My belief in the beauty of imperfection has shaped me not only in my profession, but also as a person. I enjoy exploring new things and exercising my imagination in ways such as art, creative writing, poetry, reading, and travelling. This vulnerability is what gives me ambition, allowing me to continue my learning journey, but it requires a sense of safety and belonging.
I realized that I was lucky learning alongside my twin sister, who always provided me with a safe space to learn. The significance of the safety she provided me was made evident when we were placed in two different classrooms during Elementary school. In that year, we both faced drastic changes and challenges in our learning; thankfully, we were placed in the same classroom for the rest of our Elementary school experience. This is a great example of utilizing student strengths, which was made especially possible due to the small size of our school. My sister offered me a nonjudgmental space to explore, make mistakes, and practice learning, which is exactly what every student needs in their learning environments.
However, I also witnessed the lack of resources and support for neurodivergent students that I went to school with, which prompted me to support others, eventually becoming a tutor for students who were unable to get support from the system. In a small community, these resources can be increasingly difficult to acquire. The further pressure and atmosphere of school encouraged neurotypical structures, displacing neurodivergent students. I was very close to many neurodivergent people, which sparked a passion for creating change in learning environments to be accessible, supportive, and helpful for every learner.
The ideas of exploration, imagination, vulnerability, safety, and inclusion are deeply rooted in who I am. These things are what I deeply value in my day to day life, such as participating in the LGBTQ+ community as a queer person and participating in the poetry community as an artist. It brings me joy and ambition to continue learning and improving to make meaningful change.
