My Teaching Philosophy

I believe that human beings learn in different ways, there is not one universal learning

style that defines all students. For that reason, I lean more towards a student-centered approach

to teaching, focusing more on the self and society. Though I do see a certain level of importance

of teaching subject matter, I feel that my role as a teacher is to help students learn from their

personal experiences and help them to shape their thoughts or actions in a way that will inspire

learning. I believe that students absorb material better when they are excited to learn; therefore,

building on student interest, their experiences, and current understandings will help them to learn

and grow in a more authentic and efficient way. I would consider my philosophy for teaching to

be existentialist and constructivist because I want to teach students how to learn from life, not

just from a textbook. I want my students to find purpose and meaning within themselves, so that

they can be excited to learn and feel like their acquired knowledge will help them find their own

path in life.

I believe that all students are capable of learning. I also believe that students learn in

many different ways. There is a lot of diversity in learning style based on students’ life

experiences, their environments at school and at home, and their unique personalities. These are

things that as a teacher I need to be aware of, so that I can help students navigate their individual

learning styles. To accommodate all the different learning styles there has to be different

teaching styles in the classroom. Having diverse activities and allowing students to think for

themselves and among others will teach students to reason, communicate effectively, and solve

problems. Outside of school, life is not taught by textbook. Therefore, learning how to learn, will

best prepare students for an unpredictable future.

 My objective for students is for them to realize the ways they can understand and shape

their own environments. I want students to build an understanding of themselves and their life

experiences so that they can apply what I am teaching to what they already know. I want

students’ learning to go beyond subject matter. It is important for students to know how to

approach material so that they can develop their own opinions and beliefs based off the

information they are provided. I want to teach my students critical thinking so that they can

know how to think outside the box and think independently for themselves. Having the skills to

approach material with an open mind and be able to analyze, problem solve, and develop an

explanation will help students see the connection between different ideas and form their own

opinions and conclusions. Encouraging students to ask questions and offer their own thoughts

and beliefs can help students have a more positive attitude towards learning. Having a positive

attitude towards learning will allow students to think freely and develop their own creative

thought which will help them develop and lead a culture of learning.

I would like for my students to take part in democratic activities and reflective thinking to

enhance personal growth and problem solving. Some strategies that I will apply to my teaching

are to spark discussion through creative writing, allowing students to pick their own reading and

writing projects when possible, and encouraging the sharing of different thoughts and ideas.

Instead of providing a limited agenda, I want students to be able to pick topics and discussions

surrounding things that they find personally interesting and to find personal growth through the

academic lessons that will be offered to them. In order for this to happen, I will need to provide a

clear agenda and allow students the freedom of expressing their unique opinions, so long that

they understand the purpose of the task at hand.