The Philosophy of Teaching

Teaching Philosophy My teacher education and training, exposure to students and schools from student teaching, and personal experience as a student of New York City public schools has concretized certain beliefs that I have about teaching. I firmly believe that in order to provide the best education possible to my students I need to know their personalities, learning styles, and be genuinely interested in their lives. Knowing my students will enable me to form personal and intimate student-teacher relationships, which will in turn allow me to address other significant aspects of teaching such as differentiating, promoting a multi-cultural education, and using valid methods to assess students. It is fundamental for me to focus on these aspects of teaching, as it will contribute to the academic success and engagement of my students. I am convinced that knowing the students and their interests facilitates for effective teaching, as it fosters teaching that is customized to students’ learning styles. I hope to form an understanding of how my students learn best by showing an interest in the their lives, being aware of the overall culture of the student body, and being as open-minded as possible. This will allow me to form a mutually respectful and intimate relationship where I can observe how the students think and perceive their environment. I hope to use this valuable information to meet the learning needs of my students, as well as let my students know that I too am a learner in the classroom. In order to improve my craft as a teacher, I need my students’ input as much as my students need me to facilitate their learning. My goal is to know the students on an individual and collective basis, in order to facilitate a positive and meaningful relationship, which creates a productive learning environment. As an educator, it is crucial to value students’ background and cultural knowledge, and refrain from thinking of students as blank slates. As discussed in

References: Banks, J. A., Cookson, P., Gay, G., Hawley, W. D., Jordan Irvine, J., Nieto, S., ... Stephan, W. G. (2001). Diversity within unity: essential principles for teaching and learning in a multicultural society. Seattle: Center for Multicultural Education, University of Washington, Retrieved from Freire, P. (2004). Chapter 2. In Pedagogy of the oppressed, 30th anniversary edition (pp. 71-86). New York: Continuum. Retrieved from http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/education/freire/freire-2.html