Teaching Philosophy
As an educator, I believe there is no prescriptive formula for what makes for the most engaging lessons or for what makes me the most effective teacher. However, there are several important considerations that are critical to my education philosophy. First, it is vital for me to be able to see the big picture. Not only is it necessary for me to create weekly and unit plans but it is also equally as important for me to have an over-arching vision for the year. With such perspective, I never lose sight of the essential questions and goals in which each of my daily activities are situated. After each lesson, I take time to reflect upon and evaluate my own practice and involvement in helping students meet their goals, modifying my plans accordingly to satisfy students’ needs.
In addition, my goals for my students range beyond meeting certain test scores. While I understand the necessity and importance of certain tests and content-specific skill development, I also have larger, humanistic goals for my students. For instance, through literature, I am able to expose students to a wide range of viewpoints. Studying various perspectives gives students access to and understanding of multiple lenses through which to interpret a text. Students then garner the skills to critically evaluate circumstances in their own lives from a multitude of views. Being exposed to different modes of thought instills in students empathy and compassion, not making assumptions about those from whom they differ. Thus, in teaching literature and writing with such objectives in mind, it is one of my primary goals to provide students with the skills necessary to communicate effectively in a respectful manner and with an ability to advocate for themselves. I value such skills as much as the specific content that I teach.
Lastly, I see my students and myself in a relationship beyond the student-teacher binary. Instead, I regard each student as an individual capable of growth; I consider the many external factors positively or negatively affecting student performance beyond the fifty-minutes I spend with students. A student of my students, I learn to teach and fine-tune my own craft through the act of teaching itself. Conscious reflection on my practice and the willingness to learn from my students creates a collaborative relationship between students and myself. Overall, my goal as an educator is to be far from static, but instead to evolve continually throughout my career, improving upon my trade in order to meet the varied needs of my students.
In addition, my goals for my students range beyond meeting certain test scores. While I understand the necessity and importance of certain tests and content-specific skill development, I also have larger, humanistic goals for my students. For instance, through literature, I am able to expose students to a wide range of viewpoints. Studying various perspectives gives students access to and understanding of multiple lenses through which to interpret a text. Students then garner the skills to critically evaluate circumstances in their own lives from a multitude of views. Being exposed to different modes of thought instills in students empathy and compassion, not making assumptions about those from whom they differ. Thus, in teaching literature and writing with such objectives in mind, it is one of my primary goals to provide students with the skills necessary to communicate effectively in a respectful manner and with an ability to advocate for themselves. I value such skills as much as the specific content that I teach.
Lastly, I see my students and myself in a relationship beyond the student-teacher binary. Instead, I regard each student as an individual capable of growth; I consider the many external factors positively or negatively affecting student performance beyond the fifty-minutes I spend with students. A student of my students, I learn to teach and fine-tune my own craft through the act of teaching itself. Conscious reflection on my practice and the willingness to learn from my students creates a collaborative relationship between students and myself. Overall, my goal as an educator is to be far from static, but instead to evolve continually throughout my career, improving upon my trade in order to meet the varied needs of my students.