All entries for Tuesday 05 April 2022

What is your teaching philosophy? – Hayley Juniper

What is your teaching philosophy? How has this originated, and can you evaluate how your educational touchstones will impact upon the teacher you aspire to be?

My teaching philosophy is centred around providing students with the skills and knowledge to find and pursue their passion and interests. This is strongly related to creating a unique individual rapport between students. As educators I feel it is our responsibility to allow students to flourish, through their studies and beyond.

Reflecting upon my own experience growing up, I wasn’t particularly academic on paper, but I always felt confident and succeeded with practical activities. I was a very outgoing and adventurous child; I always wanted to try new things and go to new places. I loved wildlife and knew quite early on what I wanted to do in the future; conservation and environmental studies. My parents encouraged me to try everything I could and pursue any passion or interest I had. Through this support and the voice of my mother, “the world is your oyster”, I achieved my passion and from that I have experienced some amazing events in life and been to some remote places around the world studying conservation.

From this original path, life took me in a new direction where I started teaching environmental education to local schools in Thailand, which then took me further into becoming a qualified TEFL teacher.

“Since the dawn of time, people have thought differently, acted differently, and fared differently from each other” (Dr Dweck, C S, 2017, p.5) and this could not be more apparent than walking into a classroom with 30 students in front of you. As teachers we need to be adaptable to the unique individuality of students with an approachable mindset. I feel my travelling experiences have helped shape my ability to relate to different people, cultures and upbringings. I believe this enables me to adapt to students’ needs, interests, and personalities on a wider scale. Which therefore helps me to create a unique rapport between different students.

As teachers we are more than merely academic educators; our role includes providing students with the skills needed to continue through life. As stated by OECD (2015), “social and emotional development of students is as important as the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge.”

Therefore, in reflection of this and from my own personal experiences, I believe I strive to provide students with the environment and skills that would allow them to develop as they continue through their studies and beyond. More so, guide them down the right path as to how to pursue any interest or passion they have, just as I was as a child. Since “students spend about a third of their waking hours in school during most weeks of the year” (OECD, 2015), it is our role to inspire them to find their passion and unique interests. Therefore, creating the right learning environment and building a strong rapport with students is key to igniting their passion and drive along with helping them succeed through their academic journey.

References

Dweck, C S. (2017) Changing the way you think to fulfil you potential. London: Robinson

OECD. (2015), Do teacher-student relations affect students' well-being at school?. PISA in Focus. 50.

Abigail Ball : 05 Apr 2022 16:11 |  Tags: Hayley Juniper Philosophy Teaching |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem