My teaching philosophy is the cornerstone of how I feel I will maintain a comfortable learning environments as well as allowing my students to achieve their goals. The two main aspects that define my philosophy deal with expectations and discipline. I feel the expectations a teacher has for his or her students can define what kind of classroom he or she will have. I also feel that discipline is a major concept that allows students to learn in a controlled and comfortable environment.
In relation to the area of expectations I feel that there is a great need for these be established at the beginning of every school year and with every teacher. I think that low expectations can be a hindrance in the classroom and I think it is a plague that cripples a lot of teachers. This semester I have learned that kids want and need to be challenged. If a teacher sets the bar too low for their students it decreases their interest and their want to learn. I actually had the priviledge of teaching 1301 this semester and I now know for certain that my place is in the classroom. My students throughout this semester responded to me because they knew that I believed in their ability one hundred percent. The confidence of the teacher, I believe, feeds the students confidence about their own abilities. I never questioned my students abilities to complete a task and I think that showing faith in a student as and individual and in a classroom setting can be a teachers strongest connection to their students. My keyword project about “Reading” is a reflection of how I feel towards my students abilities. The end of the project has a clip of Will Smith talking about choices and many of the quotes discuss the fact that my students should look beyond what they are given whether that in a text they are reading, a text they are writing , or life in general. I want my students to know that I expect them to look beyond the surface and achieve things that at the beginning of the class that the never thought they could do.
The notion of expectations should not only be applicable to the students. The same level of expectations that a teacher expects from students should reflect in their own committment to teaching in the classroom as well as outside of a formal setting. Teachers should never become complacent with their teaching abilities and should never stop being a student in relation to new strategies, techniques or curriculum. Educators should never settle for what is comfortable and be able to adjust to the needs of the students. Teachers should hold high expectations for not only their students but for themselves as well. In my classroom I will pledge to my students that I will be working just as hard for them as they are for me. Hopefully, this will instill a respect base that both my students can build off of during our time together. My Powerpoint presentation for one of my classes demonstrates my want to involve my students and hit every demographic that I can. I know that my students are from a generation of instant gratification and entertainment. Although, it is not my job to entertain them, I still want my students to be involved and actively thinking throughout the class period. If I have to put in some extra time outside of the classroom to achieve this then that is what I will do.
Discipline is also a very important aspect of my teaching philosophy. Discipline, more often than not, is depicted in a negative connotation. However, I feel that using a firm disciplinary plan in the classroom is vital to creating a productive learning environment. The essential components for good discipline can be summarized in two words: awareness and respect. I believe these two components check and balance each other allowing both the student and the teacher to feel involved in the classroom in a positive and constructive way.
Respect for me will be the biggest verbal tool for me when I interact with my students. Being respectful takes care of many discipline problems. Students who are respectful, do not speak out of turn, listen to those around them, and will treat the teacher as well as their classmates in an appropriate manner. The presence of respect causes awareness of actions which creates a productive learning environment and teaches students tolerance and patience towards one another. The involvement of teachers in their student’s lives can cause awareness to troublesome issues which can be resolved quickly. involvement also proves to students that I care and have respect for their interests and who they are as people. In all honesty, I have always been told that I am too nice and need to be more strict. However, I really have never had issue with a student in or outside the classroom and I think it is because I practice these two things. I respect my students and in turn expect respect. I am aware of my students and their live and in turn I am reminded that I am teaching people instead of faceless pupils. I am here to help a student learn new skills that they hopefully will use in the future, not to take joy in being a dictator over those I am teaching. I feel that my syllabus and observation report both reflect my feelings toward class room arrangement and student interaction. I think that from reading both of these artifacts that a person can understand my take on classroom management.
