Teaching
"All teachers must face the fact that they are potential points of reference. The greatest challenge a teacher has to accept is the courage to be; if we are, we make mistakes; we say too much where we should have said nothing; we do not speak where a word might have made all the difference. If we are, we will make terrible errors. But we still have to have the courage to struggle on, trusting in our own points of reference to show us the way" (L'Engle, 1972).
My personal teaching philosophy is multi-faceted, but it is grounded in the belief that all students can learn. In “The Education of an Illustrator,” Thomas B. Allen says, “education is not about passing on information” and his comment reflects my philosophy because I do not believe that simply passing on information is enough. If students are able to grasp the fact that learning is not a passive endeavor, then I am doing my job. Providing opportunities for all students to learn whilst they take responsibility for their learning is an ongoing challenge, albeit an exciting one.
In my teaching I endeavor to remain cognizant of Tolstoy’s admonition that
… Every teacher must. . . by regarding every imperfection in the pupil’s comprehension, not as a defect of the pupil, but as a defect of his own instruction, endeavor to develop in himself the ability of discovering new methods . . . (Tolstoy).
Thus, in addition to striving to instill lifelong learning practices, I place the onus on myself to present material in a way that students are able to comprehend. At the same time I believe that high expectations will result in high student achievement and therefore believe that I should expect a great deal of students. Concurrently, however, I also have high expectations for myself.
I believe that as a teacher I should respect my students as individuals. If I expect that they can learn and do well, then it is essential that I respect them and their abilities. Respect allows me to listen and creates an environment that is conducive to learning.
My personal teaching philosophy is multi-faceted, but it is grounded in the belief that all students can learn. In “The Education of an Illustrator,” Thomas B. Allen says, “education is not about passing on information” and his comment reflects my philosophy because I do not believe that simply passing on information is enough. If students are able to grasp the fact that learning is not a passive endeavor, then I am doing my job. Providing opportunities for all students to learn whilst they take responsibility for their learning is an ongoing challenge, albeit an exciting one.
In my teaching I endeavor to remain cognizant of Tolstoy’s admonition that
… Every teacher must. . . by regarding every imperfection in the pupil’s comprehension, not as a defect of the pupil, but as a defect of his own instruction, endeavor to develop in himself the ability of discovering new methods . . . (Tolstoy).
Thus, in addition to striving to instill lifelong learning practices, I place the onus on myself to present material in a way that students are able to comprehend. At the same time I believe that high expectations will result in high student achievement and therefore believe that I should expect a great deal of students. Concurrently, however, I also have high expectations for myself.
I believe that as a teacher I should respect my students as individuals. If I expect that they can learn and do well, then it is essential that I respect them and their abilities. Respect allows me to listen and creates an environment that is conducive to learning.