My Teaching Philosophy

My Teaching Philosophy

Becoming a teacher was not a hard decision to make. My experiences as a student have helped me to see the relevance and worthiness of a teaching career. My own passion for learning has been a motivator to become a teacher and partake in the education process. I strongly believe education is what makes a real difference in a person’s life and a teacher can have a profound impact on her students.

Since education influences who we become, I believe every individual should take ownership in the educational process. In this way, my teaching philosophy focuses on proactivity and student ownership of their own learning. Accountability can be a difficult skill for students to learn, but one that will have long lasting benefits. I want to encourage students to work continuously on making the classroom their own and discover their capabilities. I will encourage them to be fully involved in the content they will learn and I will provide them with learning choices whenever possible. I will ask and listen for their suggestions, so they feel like their opinions are valued in class. This in turn will also help me get to know them better and their preferences. Knowing the activities they enjoy the most will enable me to adapt classes to meet their learning needs.

I will also welcome spontaneity in class, meaning that maintaining a good sense of humor within respectful boundaries and encouraging a classroom free of sarcasm, will create a positive atmosphere, reduce anxiety during difficult learning tasks and maintain whole-class engagement. I believe keeping a good mood in the classroom will help build good student relationships and teacher rapport. Adding enjoyment to the classroom will increase student participation and when more students participate in class, they become less disruptive, more confident in their own abilities and help drive the learning process. Participation will also be the door to get access to their thinking and to check for understanding of class content. It will be my first step to assess where students are at.

Flexibility and change are also part of my teaching philosophy. As I become more experienced, I will make improvements in my teaching strategies, refine my methods and take advantage of teacher training opportunities to be more effective and to stay up to date with the latest teaching resources. It is a reality that the world is constantly changing. Student generations change and technology changes. Thus, education is directly affected by these changes as well. For this reason, I will be open and flexible to adapt to changes in education, in instruction and in student needs.

My teaching philosophy as a language teacher involves teaching skills that can be used for a lifetime. So, I will encourage students to put knowledge into action and look for opportunities to use what they’ve learned into real life situations so they can experience the benefits of cross-cultural communication. Albert Einstein once said, "Learning is an experience, everything else is just information." More than just transferring information, I want students to live what they learn. By providing real-life scenarios in my class activities and creating live contexts, students will experience the meaning of learning and the power of language knowledge.

Knowing the impact that teaching has on a student’s life, I will approach teaching from an open and positive perspective. One that fosters meaningful interactions and that is willing to adjust to change. I will strive to overcome my own challenges and support students to reach their potential. I look forward to a time in the future when I can witness students’ success through the education they obtained in their lives.

— Priscilla Kevitz