Kellen
Anderson
Podcast: Learner to Pre-Service Teacher
Featuring Erin Senathirajah
Artist statement
I chose to submit this for the anthology as it is an example of my pedagogy of both me as a teacher and student. I was lucky to record a podcast for my sociology of education in my first year with Erin Senathirajah. As a person with phonetic dysgraphia, I find a podcast is the best form of expressing my thoughts and ideas.
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Learner to pre-service teacher
As a student who grew up in a rural town in New Brunswick with a learning disability, social anxiety, being part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and being in a toxic male culture has directly affected my pedagogy as an educator. This has led me to believe highly in supporting isolated and underrepresented students focusing in rural areas. I have firsthand experienced the difficulties of being isolated and othered in the educational system. I believe highly in supporting male students, especially in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community since historically they received little to no support for the many challenges they face.
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With that, I know as an educator that I represent a straight-passing white man coming into rural areas. Which sadly is the opposite of what I support. My pedagogy is based on breaking this stigma while respecting the first impressions of others. It is challenging but rewarding to build relationships with students who have never had a positive male role model. I chose this especially for the anthology, due to the discussion of differences and similarities between the education of Erin Senathirajah, our two different upbringings have opened my mind to pedagogy as a whole. This podcast will always be important to me and represent my learning of the STFX education program.