Teaching Philosophy 2022

My Teaching Philosophy Statement

I want academic success for my students to obtain better lives and create a better community

around them. In order to improve my teaching, I got my BA in Deaf Education at Gallaudet

University, and I am achieved my MA degree in Interpreter Pedagogy at the University of North

Florida. My graduate degree specifically focuses on teaching at the community college and

university levels. I started as a tutor while learning ASL and realized that I enjoyed helping other

students achieve their goals in passing the class and learning a new language. It is my goal to

continue to help others for personal and academic success.

My courses begin with student outcomes and must be designed from there. Course content is

created with the end in mind. What I want my students to know by the end of the course is what

will be taught throughout the course. I enter the class with excitement and enthusiasm to

motivate students to learn. I enjoyed learning American Sign Language and Interpreting and now

I can teach what I love. I understand that each student has their own personal goals and not

everyone wants to become an ASL interpreter like me. Getting to know the students helps me to

relate the subject matter to their lives. When the learning is relevant to their lives, then students

learn better and are more motivated to learn.

My teaching philosophy is also related to the cognitivism learning theory. Vygotsky’s theory

about scaffolding, in the cognitivism learning theory and sociocultural theory (Fulbrook, 2019),

learning one skill then building on to it developing skills to a final outcome of being proficient.

The curriculum and instruction have to lead students in achieving the skills listed in the SLO’s.

The SLO’s of the program will increase with difficulty, scaffolding the lessons, in order for the

students to make progress. These skills must be measurable for assessment of skill level, that

the students are satisfying the skill, and to see progress of the students. Students are learning in

this context with social interaction. The student-centered approach works in conjunction of the

social learning theory. Students learn together in social interaction. Vygotsky, using the theory

of Zone of Proximal Development (Stevens-Fulbrook, P., 2020), explained that students learn in

the environment as a social activity. Students will work with each other in groups using this

student-centered approach.

Bandura also emphasizes self-efficacy (2007). Each student needs to be graded on their

own merit and not be compared to each other. This is where rubrics are valuable and must be

used to ensure the student is meeting the requirements for the assignment. Students can be

intimidated by other students who appear to be doing better than them. Instructors must instill

this sense of cooperation and that we are all here for everyone to succeed. It is my goal for

every student to successfully complete the class and the requirement of the program I am

teaching in.
 Student equity and inclusion are important to me since I want everyone to succeed

(community.acue.org). Not all students succeed the same way which means that the one-size-

fit-all type of teaching was thought of as equality but when some students aren’t getting what

they need, the class is not equitable. The college is a diverse community with several types of

people with a variety of identities that need to be respected. Working with a diverse population

requires understanding that each person has unique needs that need to be addressed.

Individual needs must be identified, respected and dealt with so that everyone has the same

opportunity for success.

My teaching philosophy was, in general, wanting my students to succeed. Taking the

Interpreter Pedagogy program at the University of North Florida, through research and

interacting with my peers in discussions, has helped develop my teaching philosophy. I have

developed concrete methods and skills to be more efficient and effective as an instructor. Using

a student-center approach with a social cognitive theory is the basis for my teaching

philosophy. Using these theories, Student Learning Outcome’s and curriculum can be

developed. Next, the daily activities need to be developed to scaffold the learning to develop

student skills, challenging them, yet not overwhelming them to the final graduation

requirements and prepare them for the next phase of their lives. I asked my 11-year-old

daughter what makes a good teacher. She replied, “A good teacher is one who is kind and nice

and allows students to go to the bathroom.” I hope to follow this advice while being a fair, firm,

and challenging instructor.

References
Association of College and University Educators. (2021, March 18). Three Colorado schools

with a common goal: Equity. ACUE

Community. https://community.acue.org/blog/three-colorado-schools-equity/?

utm_source=ACUE+Community&utm_campaign=749584e9bc-

EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_Mar18_2021&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b39ffec948-

749584e9bc-96262889

Lang, J. M. (2016). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning. John Wiley

& Sons.

Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. (3rd

edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Stevens-Fulbrook, P. (2020, July 11). 15 learning theories in education (A complete summary).

TeacherOfSci. https://teacherofsci.com/learning-theories-in-education/

Notes:

A sentence or two displaying your commitment to teaching and identifying your interests in
specific terms is adequate. If you can cite evidence to demonstrate your commitment to teaching,
do it, but again, keep it brief. This interest can be echoed in your cover letter, again in just a
sentence or two.

Draw on your experiences as a student, a scholar, and a human being. Reflect on the life
experiences you have had that affect how you think about teaching. How do the lessons you have
learned from your own experiences affect the kind of classes that you would like to teach or the
kind of teacher you would like to be?

A transformative personal experience--the undergraduate research experience, say, that

transformed you from an indifferent sophomore into an NSF predoctoral fellow

(Citation:  Austin, R. N. (2006, April 14).  Writing a teaching statement.  Science.

https://www.science.org/content/article/writing-teaching-statement-rev2 (Links to an external
site.)).  
 1. “Writing the Teaching Statement” (Links to an external site.) by Rachel Narehood
Austin, Science Magazine. (Citation:  Austin, R. N. (2006, April 14).  Writing a teaching
statement.  Science. https://www.science.org/content/article/writing-teaching-statement-
rev2 (Links to an external site.)).  
2. “How to Write a Statement of Teaching Philosophy” (Links to an external site.) by
Gabriela Montell, The Chronicle of Higher Education. (Citation:  Montell, G. (2003,
March 27).  How to write a statement of teaching philosophy.  The Chronicle of Higher
Education.  https://www.chronicle.com/article/how-to-write-a-statement-of-teaching-
philosophy/ (Links to an external site.))
3. “What’s Your Philosophy on Teaching, and Does it Matter?” (Links to an external site.)
by Gabriela Montell, The Chronicle of Higher Education.  (Citation:  Montell, G. (2003,
March 27).  What's your philosophy on teaching, and does it matter?  The Chronicle of
Higher Education.  https://www.chronicle.com/article/whats-your-philosophy-on-
teaching-and-does-it-matter/) (Links to an external site.) 

Review DE COD CANVAS put captions, transcript, or disclaimer about video content.

My teaching philosophy is focused on students’ academic success.

Curriculum, carefully designed according to the SLO’s, will allow students to develop the

skills intended for the students’ learning development. Teaching philosophies and methodology

should be grounded in theory, research, and empirical studies (Ehrlich et al., 2019). A student-

centered approach is an effective method for teaching which allows students to take

responsibility for their own learning and to become life-long learners.

My teaching philosophy is also related to the cognitivism learning theory. Vygotsky’s

theory about scaffolding, in the cognitivism learning theory and sociocultural theory (Fulbrook,
2019), learning one skill then building on to it developing skills to a final outcome of being

proficient.

Positive

Live-long learner

Diversity and equity

Diversity in learning styles requires creativity in lesson planning, assignments, activities,

and assessments

Student success with a student-centered environment.

Remove barriers for equity and success

Collaborate with colleagues in and out of the educational program to have consistency

in the instruction of materials and concepts of the courses

encourage student collaboration giving group and partner assignments

be a stepping stone for students to improve their lives and the lives of their family,

loved ones and community.

Commitment to working in a diverse multicultural community.

Helping each student achieve their highest potential

dedication, perseverance, and hard work

consistency in attitude, assignment development, and professionalism will gain trust of my
students and relieve anxiety that proves to be a barrier to education

https://www.thoughtco.com/teaching-philosophy-examples-2081517
Introduction
Thesis statement
General belief – relation to teaching
– the end result – what will students have learned after following the philosophy statement

I plan on being an effective insstrucotr by focusing on the needs of the students. Students are
the center of the teaching and class sessions must be designed for maximum learning.

Body
The ideal classroom environment
How better teacher, addresses students’ needs
How to understand the students
Make the class and assignments relevant to the students’ learning
How to respond with different learning styles-demonstrations, forming questions, hand-on,
problem-based learning. Group/cooperative learning work together for learning and problem
solving.
Facilitate learning-involve students in the assessment process

Teacher
Who am I, what do I want/teach, setting-where do we learn?
Goals and objectives for students
Personal and professional development
How to make the most of techniques and technology
Challenges of diversity
Courses taught. Advising. Respond to students’ feedback

Conclusion
Dr. Weber “Mary Poppins” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9XxSqTnOAU

My teaching philosophy begins with the desire to help others and I am eager to share my
expertise with others.
Sharing my knowledge for the benefit of others

Working as an interpreter for the Deaf has given me valuable experience and skills that provide
a foundation for teaching language and culture.

My teaching philosophy is also related to the cognitivism learning theory. Vygotsky’s theory
about scaffolding, in the cognitivism learning theory and sociocultural theory (Fulbrook, 2019),
learning one skill then building on to it developing skills to a final outcome of being proficient.

QUESTIONS

1. What do you believe is the grander purpose of education in a

society and community? You might answer that you believe education
is a pivotal driver of change, advancement, and equality in society.
2. What, specifically, is the role of the teacher in the
classroom? The role of a teacher is to use classroom instruction and
presentations to help students learn and apply concepts in math, English,
and science.
3. How do you believe students learn best? Students learn best in a
warm and supportive environment where they feel the teacher truly cares
about them and their success.
4. In general, what are your goals for your students? A teacher's
primary goals are to help students figure out who they are and how they
can be of service to their community. 
5. What qualities do you believe an effective teacher should
have? An effective teacher needs to have a basic sociocultural awareness of
and acceptance of their own and others' cultural identities.
6. Do you believe that all students can learn? A good teacher certainly
believes that each student can learn; the key is understanding what
educational methods work best for each student and then catering
instruction to each student's individual needs.
7. What do teachers owe their students? Teachers owe passion to their
students—a passion for the subjects they teach, their instruction, and a
desire to help students succeed.
8. What is your overall goal as a teacher? The overall goal for a teacher
is multifaceted: to make learning fun and inspire students to find a love of
learning; to create an organized classroom; to ensure that expectations are
clear and grading is fair, and to incorporate the best available teaching
strategies.
9. How do you create an inclusive learning environment? Students
come from a variety of socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds and
 can vary greatly in cognitive ability and learning styles. A teacher needs to
strive to incorporate instructional methods that consider all of the varied
backgrounds and learning abilities of students.
10.How do you incorporate new techniques, activities, and types of
learning into your teaching? A teacher should stay abreast of the latest
educational research and incorporate best-practice methods into their
instructional methods and strategies. (Best practice refers to existing
practices that possess a high level of widely agreed effectiveness.)

https://www.thoughtco.com/design-your-educational-philosophy-2081733