Educational Philosophy
As a secondary education teacher, the focus of my instructional approach is on the nature of the shifting intellectual and social nature of middle and high school students. These students are in a phase of great transition, but they are not all at the same stage of development even when their chronological ages are the same. The secondary teacher's challenge is to provide an educational environment that will help adolescents develop intellectually and socially while still learning the pertinent content.
My philosophy of teaching and learning English in a secondary classroom is student-centered, progressive, and combines contemporary and classical approaches to teaching. I believe firmly in sharing my enthusiasm and passion for teaching English in the classroom so that my students will exhibit that same passion in return. My goal is to create a classroom in which my students feel part of a community, where we are engaged, interactive, highly-cognitive about our learning, and most of all, safe in the environment.
I emphasize teaching English texts so that they are meaningful to my students; they will be able to relate and essentially “enter” the works we study in class. Learning must be contextualized; multidisciplinary approaches are necessary as are my students’ personal experiences. These combined approaches allow my students to connect new concepts with previous learning as well as connecting literature to their own life as well. Students relate to and become a part of the literature. I also work to bring these words to life every day in the classroom so that students can know and understand the very cornerstone of our written, spoken, and acted language – in essence, a place where each student becomes a part of the canon of literature.
I know that all students do not learn the same way. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences will govern my teaching and daily lessons. I do not believe in following a strict routine to my teaching. Lesson planning includes providing activities for visual, spatial, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and musical learners. The variety of connections, activities, multidiscipline, and group work I incorporate into my teaching creates a very positive, productive, and proficient student-centered learning community. I do not teach to only one specific kind of learner; I teach to students of all abilities and learning preferences, and I encourage students to help and learn from each other.
Students at this age are very focused on interpersonal relationships and how they fit into the peer group. A secondary teacher who is able to maintain a caring, respectful atmosphere in the classroom will be able to show his or her students that they are cared about as individuals, and that each student's success is important. It is of the utmost importance to me that I craft a safe and supportive English classroom that encourages curiosity, self-expression, and creativity without fear of punishment or ridicule.
My role as the teacher in an English classroom is to help my students construct their knowledge through student-centered learning. I am the “guide on the side,” not simply someone who has the “answer” the students are looking for. I manage my classroom based on rules my students and I have shaped together. My classroom will be a learning environment bell-to-bell: an observer will not see my students lined up at the door at the end of class waiting for the bell to ring. As a teacher, I am positive, respectful, encouraging, and warm. I want to be a role-model that my students can look up to and respect.
My philosophy of teaching and learning English in a secondary classroom is student-centered, progressive, and combines contemporary and classical approaches to teaching. I believe firmly in sharing my enthusiasm and passion for teaching English in the classroom so that my students will exhibit that same passion in return. My goal is to create a classroom in which my students feel part of a community, where we are engaged, interactive, highly-cognitive about our learning, and most of all, safe in the environment.
I emphasize teaching English texts so that they are meaningful to my students; they will be able to relate and essentially “enter” the works we study in class. Learning must be contextualized; multidisciplinary approaches are necessary as are my students’ personal experiences. These combined approaches allow my students to connect new concepts with previous learning as well as connecting literature to their own life as well. Students relate to and become a part of the literature. I also work to bring these words to life every day in the classroom so that students can know and understand the very cornerstone of our written, spoken, and acted language – in essence, a place where each student becomes a part of the canon of literature.
I know that all students do not learn the same way. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences will govern my teaching and daily lessons. I do not believe in following a strict routine to my teaching. Lesson planning includes providing activities for visual, spatial, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and musical learners. The variety of connections, activities, multidiscipline, and group work I incorporate into my teaching creates a very positive, productive, and proficient student-centered learning community. I do not teach to only one specific kind of learner; I teach to students of all abilities and learning preferences, and I encourage students to help and learn from each other.
Students at this age are very focused on interpersonal relationships and how they fit into the peer group. A secondary teacher who is able to maintain a caring, respectful atmosphere in the classroom will be able to show his or her students that they are cared about as individuals, and that each student's success is important. It is of the utmost importance to me that I craft a safe and supportive English classroom that encourages curiosity, self-expression, and creativity without fear of punishment or ridicule.
My role as the teacher in an English classroom is to help my students construct their knowledge through student-centered learning. I am the “guide on the side,” not simply someone who has the “answer” the students are looking for. I manage my classroom based on rules my students and I have shaped together. My classroom will be a learning environment bell-to-bell: an observer will not see my students lined up at the door at the end of class waiting for the bell to ring. As a teacher, I am positive, respectful, encouraging, and warm. I want to be a role-model that my students can look up to and respect.