Teaching Philosophy

Introduction

I believe that teaching is a challenging career. It is a huge responsibility to be a teacher. when

teaching children that still have not much experience in the world, it is part of my job as a
teacher to prepare them for it. And help to shape their personality. Being a teacher to me is not
about teaching school-related subjects but teaching also life related lessons and skills. when I
was a child, I looked up for all my teachers. I believed whatever they said about my abilities,
some of them changed the way I see myself and the world until this day. I consider myself a
lucky person for that, so I decided to provide the same opportunity for other children. The
opportunity of having at least one person who truly believes in them. That is why I chose to be
the most thing I admire, a teacher.

Positive Environment

I believe that providing a positive environment will reflect positively on students’ performance
and the way they look at the world. To me, students are the most important part of the
educational system. To assure that the learning is going well, students must feel comfortable.
And safe to say their opinions and ask their questions freely without the fear of being judged. By
setting clear rules from day one. It will promote respect between the students. And by using
positive reinforcement these rules will be more likely to be followed. As Edward Thorndike law
of attraction stated that “individual’s behaviour with positive consequences tends to be repeated,
but individual’s behaviour with negative consequences tends not to be repeated” (MSG ,n.d.).

Student-Centered Learning Approach & Differentiation

I prefer using a student-centered learning approach. I think that the best way to teach  students a
concept is by letting them discover it themselves. And by engaging them through the teaching-
learning process instead of giving them direct instructions. Using the three different learning
styles ; styles ; visual auditory and kinesthetic, I am making sure that the lesson is suitable for all
my students .(mindtools,n.d.) . And by differentiating activities, and giving them the space to
think and predict. This way what they have learned will stay longer. Because they were involved
in the lesson and by the guidance and support of the teacher which will make the learning
process more effective.

Scaffolding

I rather put students in charge of their own learning and support them if they needed help.
Because by doing this I am preparing them to be more independent. Which will reflect on their
real-life situations. I think the more involved the students are in the learning, the more effective
the learning will be. I believe my role is depending mostly on scaffolding rather than giving the
students direct information without giving them the opportunity to discover and experience the
joy of exploring. By providing the proper environment, materials and activities that will focus on
their ZPD level. It will ensure that students will learn new things that are beyond or less than
their level. And with teacher support they will be able to achieve the desired learning objectives.
(Cherry,2020).

Formative Assessment

I believe in the importance of formative assessment and feedback. Both for teachers and
students. By applying formative assessment like quizzes, games self-assessment, peer assessment
etc., I discover the students’ weaknesses and strengths. Therefore, I am able to provide the
suitable activities that will target their weaknesses. And develop their skills. The formative
assessment is not graded. So, I think it is a helpful way to reduce the anxiety of students and will
show their exact learning level. By giving the students feedback. They will understand what is
expected from them next time. Also for me as a teacher it will be a way of adjusting my own
methods and make sure that all students have achieved the learning objective of a topic before
moving to the next one (“formative assessment,”2014).
Evidence of:

Positive Environment:

As I mentioned, setting clear rules are the key to create a positive environment, where children
will feel safe to express their opinions. Rules create an opportunity for each student to share their
ideas without being disrespected or interrupted. To ensure that, I started my lessons with
classroom rules the way my MST starts usually with. I made students take turns to read them day
by day.
Dis tanc e le arning a nd c ybe rs e c urity rule s

Pre pare bo o ks and Wear school uniform Be ready and on time

S it in a quie t plac e
s c ho o l s upplie s

Open the camera when Stay on mute & rais e yo ur Please do not interrupt anyone Don’t share account
the teacher asks hand to take part information

I rewarded the good behavior using badge reward system. Using my own badge:

• Participate
• Answer the
teacher’s questions.
• Listen to teacher.
• Do your best!

This is linked to my PDP first goal: improving my time management, area: managing learning.
By setting clear rules I am making sure that students understand what is expected from them.
And by rewarding the good behavior it helps with managing learning and creating an
encouraging and safe environment for students to learn in.
Student-Centered Learning Approach & Differentiation:

I tend to let students think and predict the answers instead of giving it to them directly. This was
I am making the lesson more effective and fun.

For example, to let them guess what animal we are going to learn about, I showed them a shadow
of it then revealed the animal.

Scaffolding:
Students’ names
while working

I used differentiated activities to work within the ZPD level activities to make sure every student
will be able to achieve the leaning outcomes using activities that suits their level. This is linked
to PDP second goal: improving my time management, area: implementing learning. This way I
am creating an opportunity for students to apply their knowledge. Using website like class kick I
was able to see the students’ progress, correct their mistakes and answer their questions.

Formative Assessment:

For formative assessment I tried to make it fun. So, I used a game called time to climb using
Nearpod. I was able to see the students’ performance and take self-notes to what keep/change
next time :

I also ask students to rate the lesson 3, 2 or 1 in Team’s chat starting with 3 as understood very
well/ it was fun. Based on their ability to understand the lesson and if they like it or not. This
way I could see things from their point of view which is very helpful to me as a teacher. This is
connected to my PDP third goal: improving my improving my confidence, area: commit to
profession. When I see my students’ improvement and that they enjoyed my lesson. And were
able to achieve the leaning outcomes based on their groups’ activities. It gave me confidence on
my teaching and make me want to do better every time I teach.
Reference List:

- Managementstudyguide.com. (n.d). Reinforcement Theory of Motivation. retrieved from

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/reinforcement-theory-motivation.htm

- Verywell Mind. (n.d.). How Vygotsky Defined the Zone of Proximal Development. retrieved
from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-zone-of-proximal-development-2796034

- Mindtools.com. 2020. VAK Learning Styles: Understanding How Team Members Learn.
retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/vak-learning-styles.htm

- The Glossary of Education Reform. 2014. Formative Assessment Definition. retrieved from
https://www.edglossary.org/formative-assessment/