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Teaching is very important to me. I have valued education since I was a child and believe that it is a major tool in creating a better society. One of my goals
as an educator is to provide all kinds of students
an opportunity to learn the skills they need to
succeed in life and to learn to have a voice.
I would like to create democratic classrooms in
which students learn how to participate with a sense
of respect for others and themselves. One of
the dilemmas that our society faces is the lack of
participation from people in society and I truly
believe that if we teach our youth how to function
as participants in democratic classrooms then they
will be capable to function as socially responsible
individuals in a democratic society.
Another goal I have for teaching is to help students take responsibility for their own learning. There are some students who already do this, however I have seen too many who do not. Taking responsibility means thinking critically about your capabilities, knowledge, perceptions, habits, goals, and then seeing what it will take you to be successful. I think the meaning of taking responsibility evolves as you learn more about yourself and how you define your success. As educators we always need to impart knowledge based on the courses we teach, however we need to emphasize the process so that students see that the process (not the result) is how knowledge is gained. As a teacher, I hope to help students value not only subject content, but also the process in which it is learned. With that in mind, then my responsibility as a teacher is to make that process as meaningful, exciting, and relevant as I can.
My teaching
philosophy will always be a work in progress,
but for the time being this is an essay that I have
started with:
Teaching Philosophy - June 7, 2004 |
