My Teaching Philosophy - Essay Example

My teaching Philosophy of the of For any success in any learning activity, there is need for a well ingrained knowledge system in terms of philosophy. Philosophy acts as a guiding factor in ensuring that all the knowledge and activities that take place are well levelled through constant questioning and reasoning. In this paper, my philosophy about teaching will be outlined with the hope that insights in achieving the best in a learning environment will be generated and evaluated. My teaching PhilosophyThere a number of things that needs to be in place in order to have success in any system of learning.

Teaching takes a lot, both physical and mental capabilities for one to come out successful as a teacher. As such, there are a number of things needed in order to facilitate effective teaching and learning. Among the areas of concern are flexibility, knowledge ability and the global orientation.To begin with, flexibility is of critical importance in order to be successful in teaching and learning. Flexibility is the ability of changing from an ordinary course to a more effective course in order to meet the demands of a system.

Flexibility is important since it allows the trainer or the teacher to deal with a number of problems that might deter the learners from achieving the best if things were to be done the way they have been done before. This is achieved through cognitive flexibility. (Chieu, 2007, p. 33). Students also get the most out of a flexible learning system since issues that are a hindrance to their better understanding are dealt with when the teacher is flexible. Secondly, flexibility allows for learning of new skills and strategic deviation from the old ways of doing things.

This eventually leads to a well skilled team of learners that are able to effectively compete within the educational system, since cognitive issues are individually based. (Palincsar, 1998, p. 346). Thirdly, flexibility acts as a motivation to learners since it facilitates the introduction of new things that act as novel stimuli. (Casey & Wilson, 2012, p. 82). For instance, new techniques in dealing with problems Mathematical problems can be adopted.Being knowledgeable is also important in effective teaching.

The teacher ought to be knowledgeable about the subject he or she is teaching in order to effectively impart the same skills on the learner. Being knowledgeable about what one is doing is of great importance in a number of ways. Firstly, being knowledgeable creates a leeway of better teaching methodologies. (Metzler & Woessmann, 2010, p. 2). A Knowledgeable teacher will know how well to go about with the teaching and learning activities and therefore help in making the learner’s experience an enthusiastic one.

Secondly, being knowledgeable will make one to have the confidence that whatever they are teaching is the right thing. A Knowledgeable teacher has the key to effective teaching hence high levels of confidence are exhibited. In addition to this, understanding teacher knowledge can facilitate the understanding of teacher practice. Johnson and Larsen (2012), for instance, point out that in order to identify the specific challenges that Mathematics students encounter, it is important to consider teacher knowledge in terms of the pedagogical and content knowledge. (p 118). It removes doubt on whether a certain skill is appropriate for the learner or not.

Thirdly, being knowledgeable is the only way through which new ideas in the world of education can be tested and verified. (Hiebert, Gallimore, & James, 2002, p. 4). The knowledge that one has acts as a benchmark that gives the comfort of whether trying out something new will be fruitful or not.In addition to the above, good teaching also requires a global orientation. Being global means appreciating and incorporating whatever happens on the international scene into the learning activities that are taking place.

(Arohunmolase, 2006). Firstly, there is need to learn and borrow the best learning practices that are demonstrated by well performing institutions on the global scene. For instance, scientific techniques and training routines can be borrowed from the world’s reputable countries and tailored to fit the needs of the learner within their local environment. Secondly, going global gives the learners the kind of exposure that can make them realize their dreams in the world of education. (McLaren & Farahmandpur, 2010, p. 140). This exposure facilitates the formation of identities, where students get to know whom they would love to be like if they got a chance to explore education beyond the local confines.

Thirdly, going global enables a wider scope of learning than when things are taught purely from a local perspective. For instance, it is pointed out that the political knowledge of one can grow when they learn the global way. (Müller, 2008, p. 3)In conclusion, there are a number of philosophies surrounding the teaching and learning activities within the educational set up. As has been seen from the discussion, there are a number of considerations that a teacher needs to put in mind in order to attain the most out of the teaching and learning activities.

Being flexible is demonstrated as one of the fundamental requirements. Apart from this, there is need for being knowledgeable about the content that the learner is being taught on. In addition, going global facilitates comprehensive learning. ReferencesArohunmolase, O. (2006). Globalization and the Problems and Prospects of Teaching and Learning of Yoruba as a Second Language (L2) in Colleges of Education in Nigeria. Ondo: Cascadilla Proceedings Project, Somerville.Casey, J., & Wilson, P. (2012). A practical guide to providing flexible learning. QAA.Chieu, M. V. (2007).

An Operational Approach for Building Learning Environments Supporting. Educational Technology & Society, 10 (3). University of Michigan, 32-46.Hiebert, J., Gallimore, R., & James, W. S. (2002). A Knowledge Base for the Teaching Profession:What Would It Look Like and How Can We Get One? Los Angeles: Educational Researcher.Johnson, E. M., & Larsen, S. P. (2012). Teacher listening: The role of knowledge of content and students. Journal of Mathematical Behavior 31 (2012) , 117– 129.McLaren, P., & Farahmandpur, R. (2010). Teaching against globalization and the New Imperialism: toward a revolutionary pedagogy.

Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 52, No. 2,, 136-150.Metzler, J., & Woessmann, L. (2010). The Impact of Teacher Subjcet Knowledge on Student Achievement. Evidence from Within-teacher Within-Student Variation. IZA.Müller, R. (2008). Teaching Politics in a Globalized World. European Integration and Globalization as Cross-cutting Issues in the Classroom. DARE.Palincsar, S. (1998). Social Constructivist Perspectives on Teaching and Learning. Annual Revies of Psychology. Vol. 49, 345-375.