30. Mystery Montage: A Holistic, Visual, and Kinesthetic Process for Expanding Horizons and Revealing the Core of a Teaching Philosophy

Abstract

Revealing the core of a teaching philosophy is the key to a concise and meaningful philosophy statement, but it can be an elusive goal. This paper offers a visual, kinesthetic, and holistic process for expanding the horizons of self-reflection, self-analysis, and self-knowledge.  Mystery montage, a variation of visual mapping, storyboarding, and collage, is utilized to uncover the core of a teaching philosophy and to challenge teachers to expand their horizons within a more holistic context.  We share our personal reflections and experiences and conclude by discussing possible applications of this process to other areas of teaching and learning.