 |
|
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY I am Made of Teacher Materials
Author Mike Rose wrote, "I think the
teacher is a mother,
father, psychologist, nurse, and cafeteria worker.
It takes energy. It
takes organization. It takes desire." As I embark on a journey as an educator, I
see the teaching field beyond a regular vocation. Teaching
emerges as an inner passion based on
a desire to pass on the seeds of knowledge. Teachers
serve as the guiding force that molds and prepare
students for
the future whether it be the next grade level or graduation from high
school. My philosophy of teaching is
based on my belief in the learning process and requires a sense of
collaboration, organization, and an ambition to be successful. As
teachers, the need to collaborate with parents, administrators, and
most
importantly the students makes up the important aspects for a
successful school
year. By upholding the collaboration
principle, teachers can learn additional information regarding their
students'
backgrounds and cultures and can foster a genuine relationship with
their students
with the information gathered through discussion and quick chats with
parents. Teachers must see parents as a
conduit to learning about their students. While
the collaboration with parents will allow teachers
to learn more
about their students, the collaboration between administrators provides
teachers
with information regarding their responsibilities and expectations. Collaboration between teacher and students
and students with students creates a welcoming and approachable
classroom
environment. Teaching methods and
techniques such as hands-on educational experience, genuine
discussions, interactive
presentations, problem-based learning, and collaborative learning all
fall
under the umbrella of collaboration. Thus,
teachers hold the responsibility to create a
classroom climate
that invites students into the learning process as opposed to steering
them
away from it. Teachers should create an
interactive learning environment where students can feel accepted and
free to
express their concerns or share the knowledge with fellow classmates. Teachers
should organize their teaching methods to encompass the needs of all
students. Teachers should initiate,
scaffold, and guide the learning process of all students. In
order to
support students, teachers must be familiar with the strengths and
weaknesses
of their students. Then, use instructional strategies to support
and
enhance the areas of weaknesses. Every student is physically,
emotionally,
and mentally different; teachers must accept these differences in order
to educate
students in a manner most meaningful and beneficial to their individual
students. Teachers should encourage
students to explore
ideas and connect concepts to the appropriate context in order to
reinforce the
learning experience. This is my vision
inherent in the spirit of teaching: inspiring students to use their
knowledge applying
it to the real world and continue to enjoy the process of learning. The
final ingredient being a teacher is to have the ambition to be the best
teacher. Teachers should be ambitious
and want ambition for their
students. As I borrowed another quote
from Mike Rose he claimed, "If you believe so firmly in the potential
of all
your students, you have few ready explanations for their failure." A teacher should be able to walk into the
classroom and believe that each and every one of their students will
have the
ability to succeed. In my classroom
success triumphs over failure demonstrate year in and year out. More importantly, a teacher's self ambition
will show their confidence and knowledge of their subject matter in
order to be
the best teacher they can. Ideal
teachers are ones who have the energy to motivate and interact with the
students through organization and with focus. The
ingredients of collaboration, organization, and
ambition combined
simultaneously to make up the roles of mentor, guide, and motivator,
the teacher
in the classroom. -T. Nguyen | 01.24.2008
|