Travis McNaughton

I am the Assistant Principal and teacher at Muir Lake School in Parkland School Division. I love my job and view my responsibility as an educator as a great honor.

Every student has a purpose, is unique and wants to learn: this is the foundation of my educational philosophy. I believe our schools need to continually pursue innovation and creativity. Students deserve the opportunity to explore and grow in their strengths that reaches beyond the curriculum. Their future should be full of opportunity and possibility because of the skills they learn in school. Students have a voice that needs to be heard. They should collaborate in a world wide learning community; not confined to the four walls of their classroom. True learning is relevant and meaningful and schools must provide opportunity for students to contribute to our world in a meaningful way: today and in the future.

The children are the future and have something valuable to offer to our world. I believe that every child can succeed and that success begins in the classroom. Providing a safe, secure, caring and stimulating environment in which students can grow intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically is imperative to the successful development of students. Administration and teachers must care for and respect their students, taking the time to invest in each as an individual. Students will not learn effectively in the absence of this element.

Students should not be required to meet every curricular objective in the exact same way and on the exact same timetable. Lessons should be student centered, not teacher centered and structured on open ended, complex, higher level thinking tasks. I believe that teachers should employ every possible strategy and tool available to meeting the barrage of learning needs that enter the classroom every day. Every lesson should be differentiated; including a variety of learning strategies that match each individual student's learning needs and engage the student. The teacher must be committed to the success of the students and have the expertise to measure their success.

Learning is a lifelong process. I am passionate and intentional about growth in all areas of my life. I want to be the best husband, father, friend, leader, educator, speaker, and person I can be. I want to increase my capacity to manage relationships, responsibilities, time, business, health, finances, and every area of my life. To do so I embrace ch