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Sarah RehimTE 302Revised Teaching Philosophy22 April 2008My Teaching Philosophy:Who Am I as a Teacher?“This assignment has had me thinking a lot over the past few days. I’ve beenthinking about what teaching means to me, what I wish to bring to the profession, andwhy I have chosen this life for myself in the first place. After all of this, I guess you couldsay that my teaching philosophy is that as a teacher, I am my students’ greatest resource.Through my words, my faith, my encouragement, my praise, my discipline, my honesty,and most of all my time and efforts, I can help my kids be successful.”These words are the culmination of my thoughts on teaching circa this pastJanuary. In all honesty, much of it hasn’t changed, as you predicted most of us would say.I still feel that, in essence, a good teacher should always be their students’ best resource.However, what I failed to really address in my naïve, pre-302 philosophy is that being ateacher involves far more than simply teaching.This factor won’t change who I am, specifically, as an English teacher. Suffice itto say, I still see myself as that nerdy bookworm who loves literature and wants to makeeveryone else love it too even though I know they won’t. I guess I see now that there arevarious ways to teach English beyond class discussion, reading, and writing. Studentshave a vast number of interests, and many of these can be incorporated into my lessons.Heck, I could use the blues song lesson, or a role-playing activity, or some other mediaactivity to get through to them. I could compare the literature to popular music andmovies, to elements of math and science, or to students’ own lives. I might even ask the
 
class (if this is the sort of class I can trust with this task) if they can suggest some funways to examine our texts. I really don’t care so much about sticking to the everyday basics when it comes to instructing. I’m more concerned with the big picture, the larger messages and themes, and there are many ways to address these things. I won’t be afraidto think outside the box so as to assure I generally hold the interest of my class, whether we’re discussing poetry, novels, grammar, or Shakespeare.This is not to say that I don’t realize that being an English teacher goes beyondteaching English. As we sat discussing our case stories week by week, so many situationsarose where our eyes darted back and forth from student to student, saying “Oh gosh, areyou as scared about this as I am?” The answer is yes, I am scared…
 I am terrified 
at thethought of facing a violent, insubordinate student, or one who refuses to work, or onewho makes seriously threats against me. Before this semester, I really hadn’t thoroughlyconceived the idea that I could be in one of these situations, and if I’m supposed to knownow, 3 ½ months into the semester, what I would do in any number of the case studyscenarios we examined, then suffice it to say that I have failed.However, I refuse to let all of this change the way I look at what teaching shouldand can be at its very heart. I still believe everything I once said about having studentsuse me up as their own personal resource…well, to a point. Yet I now realize that manytimes, a teacher doesn’t have to be the sole resource for a troubled student, and troubled
teachers
have resources of their own. In many cases, it is necessary for us to turn tofellow teachers, guidance counselors, and principals to help our students when needed,and many times, the help they need has little do with their studies. This is simply a realityof teaching that I didn’t ever consider before.
 
Another funny thing about re-reading my philosophy is how fascinatingly easy Imade everything look. I’m sure it was just a bit of the old “I really want to impress the professor with this” attitude coming through, but I clearly didn’t think it was important tonote that I’m not going to walk into this profession knowing what I’m doing. The Teacher Prep program here at MSU prepares us for careers in teaching, but I don’t think anycollege program could fully prepare students for eight hours a day, five days a week, intheir future classrooms. So much of it involves playing by ear and trial and error. I’m surethere was a point when I would never have admitted this, but I’m going to have tons of students spanning my career who I really don’t affect. Hell, I had those teachers as astudent. But the ones who I do affect, the ones who enjoy my class and who takesomething out of it are the ones who will make my day everyday.In the end, the passion to reach, to shape, and to help
every
student is what keepsteachers going every day. Realistically, though, I’m not so sure it’s possible anymore.This doesn’t mean that I won’t manage my classroom to run like an open communitywhere students feel comfortable participating, however. It doesn’t mean I won’t call onstudents by name when the class fails to answer my question. It also doesn’t mean that Iwon’t be afraid to raise my voice and tell the truth when a student is crossing the line. Idon’t think I’m afraid to do these things. It’s just that I know that some issues are simplygoing to be out of my hands, and there may at times be someone better qualified thanmyself to aid my students wherever they need. If I’m personally not the best resource, so be it, but I will always do
all that I can
by my kids, to the point of being completely usedup. This is simply who I am as a teacher.
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