My Personal Philosophy of Teaching - Essay Example

My Personal Philosophy of Teaching In my chosen career of teaching, I have found true rewards while at it, andI have sufficient reasons to state that the career is giving back to me in surplus. Teaching is my core identity as a novice teacher. At this point in time, I would say that the activities I participate in, or prepare for my students are my biggest achievements so far. What this means is that I emerge more energized after executing my duties. The reason I find new energies each time I am through with a lesson is that I meet my objectives every time I teach. Of all my objectives, the key one is powered by the fact that an individual is created by self-development which emerges from realizing their potential. This potential is only acquired through education, and my role in the process is to teach my students so that they can develop themselves. I am further motivated to teach others by the fact that all I am, and all I have, is because I received education; I was taught. Concisely, teaching is a double achievement for me in that one, I empower my students to realize themselves like I did long ago, and two, I celebrate at my successes which come from the teaching profession which I overly enjoy. As a Worldview Studies teacher, I find myself entrusted with not only the education, but the entire future of my students in that it is through one’s worldview that a person develops a particular personality. If one has a negative worldview, then they develop into negative-minded persons. On the other hand, if one understands, thus develops a positive worldview, then they grow into all-round persons capable of better surviving in this uncertain world (Huffman, 2011). From this definition, it is evident that my role is a sensitive one, and for that, I need to be the best mentor and facilitator to my students so that I shape the best worldviews for them. In the light of these, my pedagogy is chiefly devised to cater for their overall needs with regards to creating worldviews. My final, and very crucial objective of my student’s learning is that they can make informed decisions based on their self-directed evaluation skills. As is the nature of worldviews, they are created by individuals based on certain experiences or perspectives which can only arise from a well-cultivated upbringing (Olson, 2002). What I mean is that I do not have to feed my students with my own learned knowledge or as is dictated by the curricula; rather, I use a meet-me-halfway approach in which I introduce the grounds which are meant to inform them on something, and from there, I apply techniques which engage them mentally so that they understand what I try to teach them even before I lay it before them. This is important in that I equip them with a skill of foretelling what is likely to emerge from a particular action or implication. The same is important in that they can learn to tell which worldviews best suit them, or how to come up with a worldview which they can always be ready to defend or alter to best suit them. In a summary, there are three expectations which I strive to achieve in every batch of students that passes through my class. I try my best not to make learning a cramming project, but an interactive practice which voluntarily engages their thinking so that they understand what my lessons on worldviews are all about. The first expectation I have is that I expose them to the best introduction to topics or concepts so that they have a solid foundation before ascending the learning ladder. This ensures they have an idea of what goes on during the entire course. The second expectation I have is that upon the engagement of my learners to the learning process, I ensure that whatever they think about is not just arrived at in a simple way, but through sophisticated critical thinking. This guarantees me a batch of critical thinkers capable of evaluating the consequences before coming to conclusions (Grudem, 2009). The final expectation I have is that whatever I teach to my students, they can apply it on the ground with much ease, and be able to relate to the studies I equip them with. These expectations combined, I remain motivated, and my learners take the right paths to being critical thinkers able to choose the best ways for their lives. I believe that challenges are what lead one to discover the best way out of complicated situations. As such, I throw challenges to my students during the learning process. That is what forms my basis of teaching. In short, that is how I teach. As earlier stated, I introduce the foundational information to my students, and that represents my role in the learning (teaching) process. The other half, which mostly includes interactions and discussions is the students’ role, and it caters to their critical thinking skills. The challenge with teaching worldview studies is that this course is not fixed on formulas as mathematics is. Worldview studies are based on mainly individual creations and as such, every student in every batch has a different perspective when it comes to defining worldviews. To bring uniformity to the understanding and/or application of the teachings, I give them the basic guidelines highlighted in worldviews through lecturing. From there, I employ extra activities such as group work and discussions. In their cumulative groups, I assign them different topics and let them work on a topic or activity per group. After that, they assign one representative to present their work to the entire class. This way, they learn to reason collectively and understand the concepts of worldviews (Griffiths & Partington, 1992). The reason why I prefer discussions and group work is because there will always be differing opinions, understanding, or circumstances in which individual opinions may not work. For instance, in religious worldview topics in a classroom that has different religions, there may emerge confusion or disagreements since different cultures or ethnicities may offer differing worldviews (Goheen & Bartholomew, 2008). As such, I avoid them by grouping and giving those topics which may not tear them apart along ethnicity, religious, or any discriminating factors. This in turn rewards both them and I in that unifying factors are developed, and that is an additional lesson of resolving or avoiding conflicts. Group work and discussions are therefore some strategies of overcoming learning challenges such as differences between students. The other strategy I apply in equipping my students is by employing instructional technology to address areas which may prove hindering or challenging. This is applicable mainly in circumstances where there needs to be real-life demonstrations of the course’s application. Instructional technology comes in handy when these mentioned cases emerge, and going out to the physical world is impossible. Technology chips in by making the impossible to be possible, and all this happens within the classroom. Additionally, instructional technology applies in sharpening their thinking processes in that when I assign research work to them, they consult technological aids such as computers and internet. It is during this interaction with technology that they sharpen their research skills, thus their thinking abilities in condensing relevant information from diverse resources. This too, is one way through which I teach. One really interesting bit with my teaching profession is that with every evaluation that I subject my students to, I get motivated. This happens when I am measuring (assessing) the effectiveness of my teachings. It is through subjecting them to examinations and oral tests that I can evaluate whether my students are actually learning, or whether I am meeting my objectives (Jason, 2008). The results I collect from them represent my successes or failures. One way I test them for instance, is by asking them to describe the seven basic assumptions which make up worldviews. If three-quarters of my students get it right, I pat myself on the back. If the passing lot is lower, I restructure my lesson plans and redo the topics. One of the best evaluations I ever had subjected to me were conducted surprisingly by the institution I teach at. They hired evaluators who assessed all the students from all the courses, and my students were pointed as being overly interactive and sufficiently equipped. The encouragement I received from the evaluators and other faculty members remains a fresh memory in me, and re-energizes my drive to better my teaching skills so that my students retain the accreditation, and that they create the best foundations for their futures through effective education. Asked how I manage to have such a lively class with admirable performance, I was brief in my explanation. I explained that I create problems for my learners, and these are problems which are only solvable in group settings. This first cultivates effective interaction between them, and again, they learn to reason together and converge on similar agreements. This not only boosts their interpersonal skills, but also banishes the tension which exists between teachers (lecturers) and students. This in the long run creates a happy classroom, which is united and lively. In summing up, I would restate again that this teaching career rewards me every time I teach, or interact with it in any way. That is a sufficient reason for me to remain motivated and focused on it. It is simply the biggest reason why I teach. This does not, however, exist automatically, but has to be created by the teacher. I do so by inventing an interactive classroom environment in which everyone is equal, and where no answer is ever wrong. This not only motivates my students, but also enables me to learn what they like, or what they feel should be done differently. Communication is the surest and only channel through which a student-teacher relationship can be beneficial to both (Frey, 2011). Additionally, reflecting back on the rewards that education has offered me, motivates me to provide my learners with a better education than the one I received so that they can be better individuals. It is the only significant contribution I can give back to the world as thanksgiving for who I grew up to be. Through it all, I have discovered that it is not the quantity that matters, but the quality when it comes to education. Interaction with students is one crucial tool in achieving this. The second tool is by knowing what one aims to equip the students with, and striving to achieve it. The third strategy is by constantly engaging them in collective task-solving activities, and finally, conducting evaluations to determine whether the teaching is effective, or requires a makeover. These observed; the education fraternity is bound to grow and bloom further. References Frey, N. (2011). The effective teachers guide: 50 ways to engage students and promote interactive learning. New York: Guilford Press. Goheen, M. W., & Bartholomew, C. G. (2008). Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids: Baker Pub. Group. Griffiths, S and Partington, P (1992). “Enabling Active Learning in Small Groups: Module 5 in effective learning and teaching in higher education”. UCoSDA/ CVCP. 103-116. Grudem, W. A. (2009). Christian beliefs: Twenty basics every Christian should know. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan. Huffman, D. S. (2011). Christian contours: How a biblical worldview shapes the mind and heart. Grand Rapids, Mich: Kregel Publications. Jason, M. H. (2008). Evaluating programs to increase student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Olson, R. E. (2002). The mosaic of Christian belief: Twenty centuries of unity and diversity. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press. Read More