Teaching
Philosophy
My
personal
mission as an educator is to enlighten young minds to think critically
and
analytically. Their innate curiosity
should be the fuel that enables their mind to think and ask questions
they long
to know the answers to. Consequently,
students must be in a learning environment that encourages them to ask
these
questions. The students need to know
that their thoughts and opinions will be valued and respected by the
teacher
and his peers; only then, will they be comfortable in the learning
environment
of the self-enclosed classroom. As a
teacher, I intend on providing a safe environment in the classroom, as
well as
build a community within the classroom walls where students will be
able to
express their thoughts and previous experience about the material that
is
presented.
I believe that for
learning to take
place, students need to feel a sense of ownership in what they are
learning. Similarly, the subject or
theme that is discussed and taught in the classroom must be relevant to
the
students and its purpose explained. Students’ education is purposeful,
and its
purpose should be clearly stated using a vocabulary that students may
understand. In relation, the material
presented should be in manner that the students will acquire the main
concepts
through hands-on or cooperative activities.
If students participate in the development of lessons that they
will
learn, when the time comes to present the lessons to them they are much
more
willing to be active participants in their own education.
In
this profession I want to plant
seeds of knowledge in the minds of students.
As an educator I know that I will be able to shape young minds that
will
lead our future. I want to instill
self-confidence and self-esteem in the student so that he or she may be
an avid
learner. To accomplish this task, I will
value and respect my students’ language and culture. As a product
of bilingual education, I firmly
believe that students’ culture and language should be respected in the
classroom as well as in the school.
Because a student’s language is the transmitter of his first education
in the family and his culture, the student’s language should be valued
in the
classroom.
The wealth of
experiences that
students bring to the classroom, provide various perspectives and
insights to
discussions. Within a multicultural
classroom students will bring both knowledge and opinions that
originated from
their cultural and linguistic background that may supply unique
discussion
topics that will benefit all of the students.
Along the way, students learn how to be an active listener and
how to
incorporate their opinions in a respectful manner regardless of whether
or not
they agree with what the speaker says. I
truly believe that students’ voices should be heard and their comments
respected. As a teacher I will strive to
strengthen my students’ voices so that they are heard, and not silenced
because
of their limited English skills or differences in cultural values and
beliefs.Their
voices are the teacher’s aide
when it comes to assessing that they have mastered a concept. Because, children come with strengths to the
classroom, as a teacher I will help them discover and appreciate their
talents. I do not believe that students
are empty slates that the teacher will pour knowledge in them; I
believe that
they are actively constructing, building, and modifying their past
knowledge
and experiences as new material is presented.
A teacher should provide constant feedback to the students as
they work
on an assignment or are learning a new concept.
The teacher should help students develop an awareness of the
resources
that they have so that, ultimately, they understand that they are
responsible
for their own learning.
To
achieve learning in this manner,
students need to be equipped with the knowledge of resources and tools
that
they have within them and those that are found in their environment. The teacher should provide the support and
guidance that the students need as they are learning to take
responsibility for
their own education. I see teachers as
guides who show the students the important aspects that they should
know, but
allow the students’ interest and curiosity to take control of
comprehending a
concept. Because students learn in
different ways, a teacher’s teaching methods and strategies should
incorporate
as many as to encompass and fit to the students’ learning styles. More
importantly with English language learners, one needs to provide
comprehensible
input as the student learns subject matter alongside the English
language.
Coming
from a bilingual background
and an English language learner myself, I firmly believe that the
expectations
for English language learners and students with a minority background
should be
the same as the rest of the students in the classroom.
I have high expectations for all of my
students and I believe that all students can succeed in a classroom
that
fosters learning regardless of students’ linguistic or cultural
background. It is a challenge,
but one
worth taking so that all students may succeed if they are given the
opportunity
and if we instill in them the belief that they are capable to succeed. How else will students succeed in a classroom
if the authority figure has doubts of their cognitive and academic
ability
because of their limited language skills?
As a teacher, one holds
multiple
roles inside the classroom, but the most important one is that of an
advocate
for our students. Advocating for the resources they need, and their
rights to
be respected. In this profession, I am
fortunate because I will be able to see the small steps that my
students take
as they grow up to be independent learners who are constantly inquiring
about
their surroundings. To further the
students’ inquiry, the teacher must keep challenging the students to
think and
to come to their own conclusions. I
believe that students are actively learning inside and outside the
classroom
with the tools that we equip them with.
When students choose to seek
more information, as a teacher, I
will know that my goal for my students has been fulfilled.<>
