My Teaching Philosophy
I began teaching in 2011. Since I started, I have taught high school math in an all magnet high school filled with a broad spectrum of students. In my 7 years of teaching, I have taught accelerated and regular freshmen and regular seniors. These diverse teaching experiences have impacted my educational philosophy. Each day I am confronted with situations that mold what my idea of teaching is. I know the longer I teach, the more my philosophy will change, however.
Throughout my course work in secondary education as well as my own teaching experiences, I have been given the opportunity to observe many different teaching styles and the corresponding student performance. After analyzing these observations, I believe that students learn best when they are invested in their learning. To help students take this investment in their education, it is important for the students to be motivated. “Motivation is important not only in getting students to engage in academic activities but also in determining how much students will learn from the activities they perform or from the information to which they are exposed.” (Slavin, 2012 p. 286). My goal is to instill in my students a desire to learn. It is my hope that this desire will translate into motivation and investment. As an educator, I present my students with real-world applications as much as possible so that they may see the relevance of their education. I also try to promote critical thinking skills by not spoon feeding the students their knowledge. “Students need the experience of struggling with problems…” (Eggen & Kauchak, 2012 p. 236). Problems in life are not always going to be easy to solve so why should problems in class? I approach student learning with the idea that students need to be active participants in their learning. I emphasize problem solving, critical thinking skills, reasoning, and student involvement. It is through these processes, I believe, that students learn and retain information best.
Every time that I take on the role as a teacher, I want to be as effective as possible. I believe that an effective teacher is one who is diverse in their teaching methods. Diversity in material presentation helps all students learn because all learning styles are being addressed. I also believe an effective teacher is one who lets students participate in their own learning (see paragraph above for importance of student participation). I would classify this view of effective teaching as progressivism. This means I believe learning should be active, the teacher should be more facilitator than lecturer, and that educators should be aware of students’ lives outside of school as well as in the classroom (Philosophies of education). I plan every lesson with the goal of student involvement in mind. I try to create an environment that fosters creative thought and questioning. It is my intention to involve students in the development of the class in order to help them become interested in the material. I want my students to leave my class knowing they were vital to the class’ success and that they are leaving with important knowledge for their futures. I also believe effective teachers need to get to know their students. Student success is based on much more than just classroom time. I have seen how student background and family life can play into student outcomes. I believe in creating a trusting environment in order for students to feel comfortable enough to share their personalities with me so that I can better adjust my lessons plans to benefit all students. “Without insight into the psychological structure and activities of the individual, the educative process will, therefore, be haphazard and arbitrary.” (Dewey, 1897 p. 2). I can teach the content all I want, but until I understand what makes my students tick, I will not be an effective teacher.
Every day that I teach students is a day that I have the potential to make a difference in students’ lives. This is not a responsibility that I take lightly. I think John Dewey said it best when he said, “I believe that every teacher should realize the dignity of his calling; that he is a social servant set apart for the maintenance of proper social order and the securing of the right social growth.” (Dewey, 1897 p.11). At the end of my teaching career, I want to be able to say that I made a difference because of the way I taught my students and the knowledge that my students took away from my class.
References
Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. School Journal, 54, 1-11. Retrieved from https://go.view
.usg.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=449622&tId=6936682
Eggen, P. & Kauchak, D. (2012). Strategies and models for teachers: Teaching content and thinking skills (6th ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson.
Philosophies of education [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from University System of Georgia GoView website:
https://go.view.usg.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=449622&tId=6936683
Slavin, R. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Throughout my course work in secondary education as well as my own teaching experiences, I have been given the opportunity to observe many different teaching styles and the corresponding student performance. After analyzing these observations, I believe that students learn best when they are invested in their learning. To help students take this investment in their education, it is important for the students to be motivated. “Motivation is important not only in getting students to engage in academic activities but also in determining how much students will learn from the activities they perform or from the information to which they are exposed.” (Slavin, 2012 p. 286). My goal is to instill in my students a desire to learn. It is my hope that this desire will translate into motivation and investment. As an educator, I present my students with real-world applications as much as possible so that they may see the relevance of their education. I also try to promote critical thinking skills by not spoon feeding the students their knowledge. “Students need the experience of struggling with problems…” (Eggen & Kauchak, 2012 p. 236). Problems in life are not always going to be easy to solve so why should problems in class? I approach student learning with the idea that students need to be active participants in their learning. I emphasize problem solving, critical thinking skills, reasoning, and student involvement. It is through these processes, I believe, that students learn and retain information best.
Every time that I take on the role as a teacher, I want to be as effective as possible. I believe that an effective teacher is one who is diverse in their teaching methods. Diversity in material presentation helps all students learn because all learning styles are being addressed. I also believe an effective teacher is one who lets students participate in their own learning (see paragraph above for importance of student participation). I would classify this view of effective teaching as progressivism. This means I believe learning should be active, the teacher should be more facilitator than lecturer, and that educators should be aware of students’ lives outside of school as well as in the classroom (Philosophies of education). I plan every lesson with the goal of student involvement in mind. I try to create an environment that fosters creative thought and questioning. It is my intention to involve students in the development of the class in order to help them become interested in the material. I want my students to leave my class knowing they were vital to the class’ success and that they are leaving with important knowledge for their futures. I also believe effective teachers need to get to know their students. Student success is based on much more than just classroom time. I have seen how student background and family life can play into student outcomes. I believe in creating a trusting environment in order for students to feel comfortable enough to share their personalities with me so that I can better adjust my lessons plans to benefit all students. “Without insight into the psychological structure and activities of the individual, the educative process will, therefore, be haphazard and arbitrary.” (Dewey, 1897 p. 2). I can teach the content all I want, but until I understand what makes my students tick, I will not be an effective teacher.
Every day that I teach students is a day that I have the potential to make a difference in students’ lives. This is not a responsibility that I take lightly. I think John Dewey said it best when he said, “I believe that every teacher should realize the dignity of his calling; that he is a social servant set apart for the maintenance of proper social order and the securing of the right social growth.” (Dewey, 1897 p.11). At the end of my teaching career, I want to be able to say that I made a difference because of the way I taught my students and the knowledge that my students took away from my class.
References
Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. School Journal, 54, 1-11. Retrieved from https://go.view
.usg.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=449622&tId=6936682
Eggen, P. & Kauchak, D. (2012). Strategies and models for teachers: Teaching content and thinking skills (6th ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson.
Philosophies of education [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from University System of Georgia GoView website:
https://go.view.usg.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=449622&tId=6936683
Slavin, R. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson