Identity, Growth, and the Portrait of a Learner

Why who we become is just as important as what we learn.

In education, we often ask: What do students need to know?

The JVDT methodology begins by asking a different question:

Who is this learner becoming?

This isn’t just a philosophical shift. It’s a reorientation toward identity as the engine of learning—a core part of both the JVDT framework and the global movement for education reform. At Novopecherska School, where the JVDT methodology takes root, the Portrait of a Learner isn’t decorative. It is declarative. It describes the kind of young person we are shaping: curious, ethical, confident, self-aware, and purposeful.

Growth is Personal, Not Just Academic

In JVDT classrooms, progress is not measured only in grades. We observe growth in how students:

• Express what matters to them

• Articulate strengths and weaknesses

• Reflect on how they learn

• Make decisions based on values

This mirrors the Leader in Me paradigm and MBTI-based self-discovery tools—both of which are used to help learners develop metacognition, voice, and responsibility.

For instance, when 8th graders reflect on their MBTI profiles, they don’t stop at adjectives. They ask:

“How does my personality influence the way I collaborate with others?”

“What strengths can I use in my schoolwork?”

“Which challenges can I prepare for in career and life decisions?”

These are not identity labels. They are launchpads.

Identity and the Four Keys of Understanding

Even identity formation follows the JVDT keys:

• Association connects a learner’s current traits to prior experiences or self-perception.

• Analysis invites a critical look at internal narratives: “Do I believe this about myself because it’s true, or because I was told so?”

• Root digs beneath behavior to find belief: what do I stand for? What values define me?

• Context explores how identity shows up in real-world interactions—with peers, family, and society.

A writing task becomes an exploration of identity when students are asked not just to describe a goal, but to reflect on why it matters to them and how it connects to their growth.

Portraits in Practice

At Novopecherska School, where I teach English in Kyiv, students write journals, present projects, and participate in discussions that ask more than “What did you learn?” They’re invited to articulate:

• “Who am I becoming?”

• “What do I care about?”

• “How do I treat others when no one is watching?”

Whether it’s designing a personal logo in Grade 6 or writing a values-based career essay in Grade 9, each student adds a new brushstroke to their portrait.

From Reflection to Vision

JVDT classrooms don’t wait for the end of the school year to reflect. We embed identity work into every phase of the learning journey:

• At the Information station, we explore what the world says.

• During Integration, we examine how those messages align with who we are.

• At Comprehension, we internalize or challenge those ideas.

• In the Field of Application, we act based on who we choose to become.

This is more than pedagogy. It is formation.

A Word to Fellow Educators

When we design learning without considering identity, we build castles on sand.

But when we make space for students to explore who they are, we lay foundations that can carry them into an uncertain future with strength and clarity.

The Portrait of a Learner isn’t a poster on the wall. It is written on the faces of students who are seen, stretched, supported, and invited to grow into more than they thought possible.