I feel that one of the greatest gifts that one can give to another human being is to teach another individual invaluable knowledge. However, teaching is more than just spewing out information by writing ideas and concepts on the board. As a teacher, it is important to keep in mind that every student has different strengths, weaknesses, aptitudes, and learning styles. Many students also have disabilities that can interfere with their information processing and academic performance, such as Dyslexia, Autism, and Attention Deficit Disorder. An effective teacher should be able to reach and connect with a diverse group of students, which is why my teaching style is eclectic.
Students should be motivated to learn the subject material, which starts with me showing enthusiasm for the coursework that I am teaching. If I stand in the front of the class using a monotone voice, looking down, and just writing things on the board, I am not engaging with my students in the way that I need to be. Getting students engaged in the learning process starts with the way my lessons are created. When I design my lesson plans, I use many different methods and activities, such lectures, multimedia power points, charts, video clips, articles, and group activities. Every student learns in a different way. Some students need more visual stimuli, while others learn the best by writing notes while listening to a teacher speak. Using real life applications are also important in teaching, students needing to relate the material to their life and well as understanding why the course knowledge is important. Therefore, I try to incorporate all of the above methods into my teaching plans.
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"My Philosophy of Education".
Yet, using different methods of teaching is not enough. I need to be able to set the tone of the classroom from the first day of class. One of the most important things that I can do as a teacher is to learn each student”s name as quickly as possible. Once I do this, I have started to establish a good rapport with them, a rapport that is needed to portray coursework material to them. Setting a good classroom climate is important and conducive to student learning. While a teacher does not want to come across as a tyrant, it is the teacher who needs to manage and organize her classroom effectively. A classroom should have some basic rules, some that the students may devise themselves. If students are a part of the rule making process, then they will probably be more apt to follow them, i.e. allowing a student to make up one missed assignment.
Effective classroom management also entails eliminating distractions, such as loud students, making sure that people are not interrupting other people, and ensuring that all students and their opinions are respected. I desire to have a classroom where all students feel comfortable speaking and expressing their knowledge and opinions. This means not allowing discrimination and derogatory comments to be part of my classroom. If it does enter my classroom, it is my job to deem these comments as unacceptable and to enact the appropriate actions if the behavior is repeated.
Student evaluation and assessment is obviously important. However, I choose to incorporate several components when assessing a student”s grade. Not every student is a good test taker, which is why I use tests, quizzes, homework, group exercises, discussion questions, and research papers as part of the student”s grade. As an educator, it is my job to give students the best chance possible. While I believe that coursework should challenge and open a student”s mind, I believe that teachers should make their classes hard to fail versus hard to pass, if the student completes all of the necessary work and puts in the proper effort. I also believe in giving students points for coming to class and class participation, as some students are more vocal and extroverted should have this strength acknowledged in their grade.
