Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is my calling. I teach because I care about students- I wish to help them grow as human beings as well as learn academically. I work hard to meet each student where they are and then help them grow in a positive direction. This is made possible by an atmosphere of mutual respect. Every student is accepted and respected in my classroom.
I believe that an emphasis on communication skills and critical thinking skills will help all students be successful in school and in life beyond classroom settings. I develop communication skills to give students the tools they need to understand others better, understand themselves better, and express themselves more effectively. I develop critical thinking skills to help students make wise decisions and solve problems more effectively.
My teaching style incorporates many constructivist techniques. While there is a time and a place for lecturing, students learn best when they build knowledge and understanding for themselves. As such, I make use of socratic-style questioning whenever possible. I also make use of collaborative learning activities so that students combine their individual understandings and experiences to build a deeper understanding of the material. When it comes to writing skills, I believe the most effective approach is through individual writing conferences. Individual conferencing allows me to give each student the specific advice they need. I also believe that commentary on students’ writing should be positively phrased. Instead of telling them “this is wrong”, I write, “I’m not sure what you mean here, can you rephrase this?”. Students are more likely to incorporate the suggestion into their next writing assignment if it is positively phrased.
Education is about more than knowledge and facts- it’s about students developing the tools they need to be successful. Communication skills and critical thinking skills are two of the most important tools I can help students develop. I guide students in the development of these tools by encouraging them to build their own knowledge and understanding of the material at hand.
I believe that an emphasis on communication skills and critical thinking skills will help all students be successful in school and in life beyond classroom settings. I develop communication skills to give students the tools they need to understand others better, understand themselves better, and express themselves more effectively. I develop critical thinking skills to help students make wise decisions and solve problems more effectively.
My teaching style incorporates many constructivist techniques. While there is a time and a place for lecturing, students learn best when they build knowledge and understanding for themselves. As such, I make use of socratic-style questioning whenever possible. I also make use of collaborative learning activities so that students combine their individual understandings and experiences to build a deeper understanding of the material. When it comes to writing skills, I believe the most effective approach is through individual writing conferences. Individual conferencing allows me to give each student the specific advice they need. I also believe that commentary on students’ writing should be positively phrased. Instead of telling them “this is wrong”, I write, “I’m not sure what you mean here, can you rephrase this?”. Students are more likely to incorporate the suggestion into their next writing assignment if it is positively phrased.
Education is about more than knowledge and facts- it’s about students developing the tools they need to be successful. Communication skills and critical thinking skills are two of the most important tools I can help students develop. I guide students in the development of these tools by encouraging them to build their own knowledge and understanding of the material at hand.