Philosophy of Teaching

Deborah S. Andrade Giron

California State University Dominguez Hills

I come from a family of teachers. I always thought that I was going to pursue a completely different path. It did not happen. As an immigrant, adult, English learner, I know the huge impact an education can have on any student. A positive, nurturing, and welcoming classroom environment enhances the learning experience. We are all humans; we all come with traumas, biases, and certain life experiences that can seriously impact our life, and in my case, my performance as a teacher. However, it is up to me to use my experiences in a positive manner. I can use them as reference to address my student's own traumas, talents, and conflicts. To do this, I plan to have a classroom whose sole purpose is to guide and open the minds of my students. 

Education can be an enlightening experience, as it has the power to change someone’s life. In simple terms, education means to learn skills and acquire knowledge, on a generation to generation basis. I do not see it as basic. The purpose of education is to prepare children to perform, understand, question, and transform our society for the better. As Freire says, "education makes sense because women and men learn that through learning they can make and remake themselves, because women and men are able to take responsibility for themselves as beings capable of knowing” (Freire p.15). We live in a society where any distinctive/special trait can be used as a hating weapon against anyone, especially for those socially classified as minorities and/or underprivileged. I want for my students not just to gain knowledge, but to use it as a tool to transform society. Today’s children carry society’s future in their shoulders; therefore, I want them to become critical thinking, non-conforming adults. It is important to have knowledge, but it is even more important to know how to use that knowledge to transform society, and improve the conditions for others.  

Children learn best in a positive, accepting, and welcoming environment. Classroom climate refers to the mood, attitudes, standards, and tone that the teacher  and students feel when they are inside. A negative classroom climate can feel hostile, chaotic, and out of control. A positive classroom climate feels safe, respectful, welcoming, and supportive of student learning. As a teacher, I believe in using warm and inclusive verbal and non verbal messages to encourage and reinforce positive behaviors, and soft verbal messages to correct it. I also believe the importance of positive peer relationships. Trust and communication are essential inside the classroom. Except for parents, teachers are often the most influential authority figure in children’s life. Creating bonds promotes effective communication between teachers and their students, and among students themselves, which can impact academic performance. 

Functional communication with peers is also vital to child development. According to Ambassadors 4 Kids Clubs, 1 in 4 kids is bullied in school (2017). An environment in which bullying is tolerated pushes the kids to drop out of school and even to commit suicide. As a teacher, I will create a classroom that is a safe place for students to explore and express themselves without fear of judgement. From the beginning, I will set a zero bullying tolerance policy—which includes any type of discrimination or harassment—and encourage them to be kind to one another by providing positive feedback. I will pay close attention to the social dynamics inside the classroom, and be prepared to address any conflicts that may arise. According to Davis (2012), students need “classrooms where there is a strong sense of community and no fear of ridicule, and where the teacher not only cares about them but refuses to allow them to fail” (p. 112). My goal is to create a safe environment for everybody, a sense of community and kindness, and an environment whose main goal is to help them succeed. 

Teachers are well aware that one size fits all does not work in diverse classrooms. The diversity inside our classrooms widespreads between English Learners, different ethnic backgrounds and cultures, students with IEPs or 504 Plans, and students who struggle socially and academically. To address individual needs, such as students who present social and academic struggles, students with IEPs or 504 plans, and those who may present visual or hearing disabilities, I will be using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multi Tiered System of Support (MTSS). According to Roekel (2008) UDL “provides multiple and flexible methods of presentation… expression, and engagement to give students with diverse learning styles various ways of acquiring, demonstrating  information and knowledge” (p. 1). Universal Design for Learning (UDL)  is a way to adapt lessons to accommodate the different ways each student learns. In other words, if my students learn in different ways, I have to teach them differently. In my classroom, I will have different ways to teach different topics. I can do a lesson that includes drawings, note taking, and partner discussion to reinforce comprehension. I can also differentiate assessments according to my students’ needs. This may include oral, writing, and/or individual tests to accommodate students with specific disabilities. Any subject can be adapted to create engagement, be fun, and promote learning. 

Alternatively, to address English Learners’ needs, I will use GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) because it incorporates strategies that support bilingual students to better understand content while adapting a new language. These strategies target different instruction areas including “focus and motivation, input, oral practice, reading and writing” etc. Students are able to relate new vocabulary and concepts with images that may be already familiar to them. It also gives them time to repeat the concept orally and analyze images. I want to create a safe space for students to interact and reinforce communication by discussing the material with their peers. Additionally, while discussing topics, students become more engaged in class, while reinforcing social skills. 

Teachers who become acquainted with their students also have a special insight in their students’ background. We live in a diverse society, including aspects of various cultures in lessons helps students relate to concepts that otherwise may have been challenging. Ladson-Billings (1995) argues that teachers’ bonds with their students can be used to develop special lessons that appeal to diverse backgrounds. Teachers who incorporate students’ other languages, or music preferences for example, can make more interesting and reinforce concepts. Relevant and relatable lessons keep students interested and encourage critical thinking. It keeps them interested and also makes them think twice about what they are learning. Equity inside the classroom can make a huge difference in our students’ future. 

As a teacher, I will function as a practitioner and facilitator inside the classroom. This means that I will employ active teaching methods that promote learning. Practices such as peer review activities and cooperative learning, combined with a student-controlled discourse—where students participate and take an active role in lectures and classroom set up— promote student engagement that leads to academic success. In the same way, Small Group Instruction is also a culturally responsive practice that allows students to work cooperatively and it gives teachers time to address individual needs. Additionally, I will communicate the high expectations I have for each one of my students and for myself. Investing time, early and consistently throughout the year, laying out clear and precise expectations for each one of my students can make a significant impact in their performance. Having high expectations for my students can increase their motivation to learn and participate in class. At the same time, a classroom should be structured in a way that all materials are accessible to each student and that instructions for every task are clearly stated. With this in mind, I want to develop a classroom system that works efficiently to prevent boredom, aka disengagement, to ensure that when my students leave my classroom, they are prepared with the best of their abilities. 

Works Cited

Ambassadors 4 Kids Club. (2017). Get the facts: Bullying statistics. Retrieved from http://www.a4kclub.org/get-the-facts/bullying-statistics

Davis, B. M. (2012) How to teach students who don’t look like you: Culturally responsive teaching strategies (2nded.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. 

Freire, P. (2004). Pedagogy of Indignation. Boulder: Colorado, Paradigm. p. 15

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). But That’s Just Good Teaching! The Case for Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Theory Into Practice, 34(3), 159-165.

Project GLAD. Retrieved from http://projectgladstudy.educationnorthwest.org/#5

Van Roekel, N. P. D. (2008). Parent, family, community involvement in education. Policy Brief. Washington, DC: National education Association. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/PB11_ParentInvolvement08.pdf