Philosophy Statement
Fall 2006
What makes a good teacher? Devotion and responsibility combined with a creative mind are critical qualities that true teachers possess. Many teachers at heart know that they will become teachers since childhood; I always have. I have always enjoyed teaching. I like explaining how things work, breaking material into pieces that students can easily follow, drawing connections with the real life to help students relate to the topic being discussed. I like spicing up my instruction with good humor to create a friendly positive environment and make learning process pleasant. What attracts me in this profession is that it gives an outlet to creativity. Having a creative mind is a blessing for an elementary school teacher. The fact that at the end of this fun process I can make students understand something that they have not been able to understand before excites me even more and makes my job very rewarding. Besides being fond of the actual process of teaching, a teacher should be able to accept the responsibility of being a parent to 20 or 30 children in the classroom. I take this job very seriously, because I know that young children are very perceptive and whatever I teach them now will affect the choices they will make in future. I see myself as a mentor, a role model or even a second parent for my students. Teaching brings up my best qualities, because to be a role model for somebody I should demonstrate the desirable traits and follow the principles that I teach. There are many personal characteristics that a good teacher should have and transfer to the students, which includes: kindness, friendliness, caring, positive attitude. It is necessary to develop a classroom into a caring community to allow children receive “social and emotional learning” as Gootman (2001) defines it. It is essential for a teacher to have a likable personality to make students feel comfortable to learn and explore in the classroom, to get them interested, to guide them. And it is equally important to let students guide you to learn from them. Teaching is a two-way street. I constantly learn from my students. Very often students’ confusion leads me to inventing new methods of explaining material. Cooperation with students is crucial not only for the purpose of exchanging information, but for expressing respect for each other. Teaching is a challenging and adventurous process that requires collaborative efforts of a teacher and the students. It is also a powerful tool that should be used wisely as it allows a teacher to be the authority. It is important for a teacher to make responsible choices and purposeful decisions. A good teacher makes education purposeful, or as Slavin (2003) defines it “intentional”. An intentional teacher cares about the results, and makes decisions that are directed towards achieving those results. Obviously, as a teacher I should be knowledgeable to transfer knowledge to my students. Although I am not an expert in all the subjects that are offered by the curriculum in older grades, I like the challenge that pushes me to learn more and allows me to grow as an individual. But knowledge includes more than the competence in the subjects. It is also the comprehension of teaching techniques and educational psychology, which is important for providing better instructions and getting better results. Being a good observer is important to make sure that the teaching approaches are suitable for the current classroom, and if they do not work be ready to change them. My goal as a professional is to continue to educate myself to keep up with new generations and new educational research, constantly use my critical thinking skills to improve the learning environment for the students. However, there is another piece of the puzzle to complete the picture of successful teaching. Sometimes it takes more than the efforts of the teacher and the students. Nieto (2004) emphasizes that family and community involvement is really effective in educating children. And it is my duty as a teacher to facilitate and encourage this involvement. The research shows that the families that are in need are usually unaware of the helpful resources that their community offers. It is my duty as a teacher to be a community informant to be ready to direct my students’ families to the right services and facilities, to be proactive. Sharing the knowledge with the families in need means showing care to the students and making them feel welcomed in their community. Especially I should be helpful to the families of immigrants. First hand experience with learning ESL process gives me the advantage of understanding the challenges that other EL students might be going through, culturally and linguistically. That gives me the ability to see things the way students with foreign origin perceive them, and therefore to emphasize and explain the peculiarities of the language and the American culture in the way necessary for English learners. To be a teacher in multicultural America it is vital to maintain balance in the controversial environment of diversity, to be flexible and tolerant to the differences, and teach these fundamental skills to students. In the existing discrepancy between the idealistic goals of education and the reality of the society, it is my responsibility as a teacher to stay true to my principles and do my best in passing the knowledge, teaching the virtues to my students with devotion and care.
References: Slavin Robert E. (2003). Educational psychology: theory and practice. Massachusetts. Allyn and Bacon. Gootman Marilyn E. (2001). The caring teacher’s guide to discipline: helping young students learn self-control, responsibility, and respect. California, Corwin Press, Inc. Nieto Sonia (2004). Affirming diversity: the sociopolitical context of multicultural education. Massachusetts. Allyn and Bacon. |