My Teaching Philosophy
It is essential for every person to know a second language may it be Spanish,
German, Arabic, or any other language. By learning a second language, a person
has began to open their mind to explore how another culture speaks, listens, and
interacts in different settings. As a Spanish educator, I strive to instill in
my students not only the skills they need to communicate in Spanish, but to also
spark their interest to become life-long self -directed learners.
The Nature of the Learner
I believe that the learner is neither an
empty vessel waiting to be filled nor a tourist that needs a travel guide. I believe that the learner is citizen
of a social community who is unfolding what society has to offer. In this
analogy, the community is the classroom and the school is the society. I believe this because the student
already brings a variety of
experiences to the classroom; thus, he or she is not an empty vessel nor is he
or she a tourist. A tourist
implies that the student is just visiting life experiences and can leave at any
time. Our students are more like
citizens who are trying to discover where to settle, work, love, and live. They reach into their life experiences
in order to find meaning in what they are learning and most do not have the
luxury of leaving those experiences behind.
The Image of Curriculum
The curriculum of the school must be in
accordance to what the students are facing in society and it should give the
students the opportunity to grow and be metacognitive
and self-directed individuals. To
accomplish this, the curriculum must include a balance of academic areas, areas
of fine art, areas dedicated to the trades and they must all be intermixed with
teaching values and morals. While
a common image of curriculum would make teaching easier, I believe that it does
a disservice to our students. When we have one solid national curriculum, we
ignore the individuality of where are students live and what experiences they
have faced in their own communities. On a smaller level, it is the
duty of a school district to have a common goal and purpose in terms of general
curriculum. Yet, one must be able
and allowed to modify that curriculum as seen to fit the students.
The Image of the Teacher
Teachers are not just employees of the
state nor are they just a professional specialist that the community employs to
exercise her expertise on the behalf of the students.
The teacher is an architect who designs, redesigns, and supports the
youth in the community and what they are learning.
The teacher is an indispensible resource on which no value can be
placed. He or she is not only an
architect, but also a mentor, cultivator, counselor, disciplinarian, and an
advocate for our youth. He or she
is someone that the community cannot do without and someone that without, the
backbone of society would crumble.
The Preferred Pedagogy
In accordance with the image of the
teacher as the architect, learning should be primarily student centered and
should focus on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. While sometimes traditional
teacher centered delivery is necessary, students will take a vested interest in
the material if the classroom is student centered, thus increasing intrinsic
motivation to learn. “Now these
at-risk students exhibit confidence and accept responsibility for their own
learning” (Perrin, 1990, p. 24). Finding this motivation to learn is the
first step to assisting students to become self-directed learners.
In connection with increasing motivation, students must be given choices
in the educational process and must be encouraged to learn in an environment
with a low affective filter.
Works Cited
Critical Issues in Education: Anthology of Readings. Sage Publications (2006), 26, 40-47.
Halter, Julie. “Metacognition.” SDSU http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/metacognition/start. htm.
Perrin,J. (1990). the learning styles project for potential dropouts. Educational Leadership, 48(2), 23-24.
German, Arabic, or any other language. By learning a second language, a person
has began to open their mind to explore how another culture speaks, listens, and
interacts in different settings. As a Spanish educator, I strive to instill in
my students not only the skills they need to communicate in Spanish, but to also
spark their interest to become life-long self -directed learners.
The Nature of the Learner
I believe that the learner is neither an
empty vessel waiting to be filled nor a tourist that needs a travel guide. I believe that the learner is citizen
of a social community who is unfolding what society has to offer. In this
analogy, the community is the classroom and the school is the society. I believe this because the student
already brings a variety of
experiences to the classroom; thus, he or she is not an empty vessel nor is he
or she a tourist. A tourist
implies that the student is just visiting life experiences and can leave at any
time. Our students are more like
citizens who are trying to discover where to settle, work, love, and live. They reach into their life experiences
in order to find meaning in what they are learning and most do not have the
luxury of leaving those experiences behind.
The Image of Curriculum
The curriculum of the school must be in
accordance to what the students are facing in society and it should give the
students the opportunity to grow and be metacognitive
and self-directed individuals. To
accomplish this, the curriculum must include a balance of academic areas, areas
of fine art, areas dedicated to the trades and they must all be intermixed with
teaching values and morals. While
a common image of curriculum would make teaching easier, I believe that it does
a disservice to our students. When we have one solid national curriculum, we
ignore the individuality of where are students live and what experiences they
have faced in their own communities. On a smaller level, it is the
duty of a school district to have a common goal and purpose in terms of general
curriculum. Yet, one must be able
and allowed to modify that curriculum as seen to fit the students.
The Image of the Teacher
Teachers are not just employees of the
state nor are they just a professional specialist that the community employs to
exercise her expertise on the behalf of the students.
The teacher is an architect who designs, redesigns, and supports the
youth in the community and what they are learning.
The teacher is an indispensible resource on which no value can be
placed. He or she is not only an
architect, but also a mentor, cultivator, counselor, disciplinarian, and an
advocate for our youth. He or she
is someone that the community cannot do without and someone that without, the
backbone of society would crumble.
The Preferred Pedagogy
In accordance with the image of the
teacher as the architect, learning should be primarily student centered and
should focus on Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. While sometimes traditional
teacher centered delivery is necessary, students will take a vested interest in
the material if the classroom is student centered, thus increasing intrinsic
motivation to learn. “Now these
at-risk students exhibit confidence and accept responsibility for their own
learning” (Perrin, 1990, p. 24). Finding this motivation to learn is the
first step to assisting students to become self-directed learners.
In connection with increasing motivation, students must be given choices
in the educational process and must be encouraged to learn in an environment
with a low affective filter.
Works Cited
Critical Issues in Education: Anthology of Readings. Sage Publications (2006), 26, 40-47.
Halter, Julie. “Metacognition.” SDSU http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/metacognition/start. htm.
Perrin,J. (1990). the learning styles project for potential dropouts. Educational Leadership, 48(2), 23-24.