Teaching Philosophy 

Teaching encompasses a wide range of ideas, concepts, and strategies, and I plan to include many of these when I interact with students while I teach. To me, teaching is the link between the education and the real world. Through my efforts in teaching, one of my goals remains to help my students succeed in their individual, unique ways. I hope that the education I provide will equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to triumph and overcome difficulties outside the classroom. Learning means seeking out new information and listening and acting upon what others say. As a teacher, learning from students is as important as teaching.

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A major strategy that I plan to incorporate is responsive teaching. Responsive teaching means recognizing what knowledge students possess and modifying a lesson accordingly. As a teacher, it is my job to make sure students understand how new classroom material is relevant to their current knowledge because they will learn better with this understanding. The way I would do this is by first hearing what knowledge students already have from previous experiences. I would ask basic questions and build onto that by asking more complex questions to guide their thinking. I feel students should be able to build off each other’s ideas as well, and for that, I would facilitate a student-centered discussion over the new topic that is to be taught. If any misconceptions came up, I would be sure that students are taking away the right information, but I would help them work together to form connections to fix their misconceptions. Based on the students’ responses during the discussion and their answers to my questions, I could assess how effectively I am in teaching and my students are learning.

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Another concept that I would encourage in a classroom is diversity. Portraying diversity in multiple ways is important in ensuring that students internalize that too can significantly contribute to breakthroughs in multiple fields. Promoting an inclusive classroom culture can also encourage them to pursue any goal they may have. I want students to be motivated and have a genuine interest in learning, which can arise when they see people like them in a certain field. For example, if I were teaching a math class, I would be sure to mention contributions in math from people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and races. I also would have students do their own research and collaborate on a project in groups regarding diversity within math that could be displayed in the classroom. It would serve as a reminder to them that they are capable, despite any obstacles they may face. Having them feel comfortable talking openly about diversity with one another as they collaborate on their research and present it assures me that I have successfully promoted diversity in the classroom. 

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Finally, a third strategy that I would be sure to implement in the classroom is productive failure (PF). In productive failure, students are provided with the opportunity to discuss problems with their peers and share their opinions on how a solution can be reached using various methods of their own thinking. This is especially important in the classroom because students learn more when they are given time to work through a problem with other students and build their knowledge based on collective prior knowledge. Using PF, I would group students and introduce them to a new and challenging problem without providing direct instruction, making sure to discuss the problem at the end. When students must work their way through a challenging problem, they develop problem-solving skills and learn from their failure. At the end, I would go over the problem with the students, making sure they play active role in explaining to me how they worked through it and clarifying any misconceptions. To assess students’ understanding, I would give them an assessment with such higher-level problems as the one they were challenged with to see whether they applied their new skills to other complex problems.

 

As I support students’ learning, I plan to center my teaching around responsive teaching, diversity, and productive failure. My role as an educator is to keep students engaged and active in the learning process. These key elements will foster learning and motivate students so that they learn best as they continue their journey through education. I hope to continue empowering them to establish links within their knowledge, pursue their goals, and strengthen their skills, which will support their transition from the classroom to the real world.