Philosophy: foundational concepts and major traditions

Philosophy of Teaching

My Philosophy of Teaching

Ask a person what was their favorite toy, television program, or even their best friend when he or she was a child. That person's face may grow blank. Ask that same person who was his or her favorite teacher, and almost instantly that person will smile, and say, "oh yes, of course I remember..." To teach is to touch a human being's life forever, and to stay in that person's memory forever. Every time a person reads, writes, or even simply attempts to solve a problem, that person is using skills conveyed to him or her by an educator. Hopefully, that educator was a person of compassion who inspired a passion for learning in the heart of that former pupil.

Everyday, students -- some reluctant, others eager -- come before a teacher, and wait. Wait to learn necessary skills for life success. Wait to be made to feel like valued members of a classroom community. Wait to make their voices heard, as well as to listen to the voice of the person they see, hopefully, as a mentor and friend.

The success of every teacher is measured by the ability of her students to progress in their learning and think more critically about the world. The student's relationship to the teacher is that of a person seeking guidance to realize his or her dreams. This does not mean that discipline and rules should be ignored. Far from it, for to create an atmosphere of mutual respect, all students' needs must be acknowledged. Everyone must wait for his or her turn to shine. There must be rules, but rules with value and purpose, and children must understand the consequences of their actions, not merely be punished to satisfy the teacher's need for authority. Always, the teacher must have an idea of how motivated the students are as a group, what values are important to individual students, the ability level of the class and individual students, and see the educational process as a dialogue, not as dogma or dictation.