Teaching Philosophy In my view of teaching, it is my role to serve as a knowledgeable, accessible, and welcoming toolkit for my students. As an English teacher, I strive to not only help my students learn, but act as a source of direction and encouragement for all those who pass through my classroom door. This guiding principle involves me setting high expectations for both my students and myself. I intend to provide endless support for each learner in order to challenge those who excel and assist those who struggle. Most importantly, I hope to instill in my students the confidence and skills that are necessary for them to believe they are capable of success in their future life endeavors.
In order to achieve this aspiration, my first priority is to create an educational environment that is conducive to learning. My primary goal is to make each of my students feel safe, comfortable, and valued as an individual. Once these needs have been met, it becomes possible for a sense of community to develop between the teacher and pupils. This community building strengthens rapport among my students, helping them feel at ease to raise questions or share concerns with me. My approach in fostering this positive learning atmosphere is to construct a culturally aware and responsive classroom. Diversity is meant to be embraced, and few fields lend themselves more effectively to this belief than the Language Arts. I intend to promote an appreciation of diversity through real-life examples brought to the surface via our reading and class activities. Different cultures, too, can be explored in our own academic backyard through personal written reflections or discussions based on in-class texts. Without respect for their peers or their teacher, my students will be unable to learn to the best of their ability. As a result, any form of discrimination or bullying is unacceptable.
One of the greatest gifts I can impart on my students is to make the most of our class time together. As a teacher - a living toolkit - I intend to provide resources that first recognize, then maximize each student’s potential. Rather than simply assigning reading quizzes or grammar exercises, it is my belief that combining these traditional forms of study with more engaging, interactive activities is most favorable to learning. The development of creative writing prompts, interdisciplinary projects, and group work that apply to contextual situations allow students to truly immerse themselves in the content. By scaffolding these skills over time, students in my English class will become better readers and writers. Realizing that students require various ways to articulate information is similarly important; an awareness of multimodal learning fosters greater interest in the material and nurtures the formation of distinct student identities. Although I try to design lesson plans that make learning “fun,” I also intend them to be rigorous and thought-provoking at the same time. It is true that a considerable part of education today centers on standardized test performance. Yet instead of simply teaching with the test in mind, I hope to develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary for student success through these innovative assignments and activities.
A transformative educator is also one that understands the significance of adapting teaching strategies to meet the varied needs of students. Differentiated instruction and the tailoring of curriculum materials to a particular class helps ensure that students have opportunities to learn in ways that appeal to their strengths. The integration of technology into the classroom is just one facet of supporting diverse learning styles. Taking advantage of modern resources - from conducting research on electronic databases to using digital discussion boards as a form of communication - will prepare students for today’s industrial, ever-changing world. Keeping up-to-date with the backgrounds and interests of my students will similarly enable me to best help them grow. In order to do so, I strive to build an active presence with my students’ parents so I can better understand their own experiences. That mindfulness of where my students have come from subsequently informs how I develop my lessons to better connect the content at hand with their own lives.
An average teacher instructs others on subject matter. However, the mark of an exemplary teacher is one who cultivates not only his pupils’ academic progress, but their emotional development as well. I firmly believe that the most vital element of successful teaching is to foster authentic and respectful relationships with students. Without a sense of belonging, learning simply cannot take place. Middle and high school are times of great challenge and great change; through their journey in school, I want my students to know I am here to help. It is my goal to equip them with the tools they need become young leaders capable of choosing their own life paths. As a graduate of Lewis University, I have learned through my English Education coursework and field experiences what must be present in an effective teacher - knowledge, clarity, approachability, and dedication. I believe that educators must continually work to improve themselves and their pedagogy through professional development and collaboration with colleagues. Ultimately, with a steadfast belief in the abilities of my students, it is my hope that they will one day see themselves as I do - young people with voices to be heard and endless potential to be realized.