All entries for May 2021

What is my teaching philosophy? – Yu

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

My teaching philosophy strongly believes that, the core requirement of a student and the key mission of an educator is the wielding of knowledge by love. The importance of love in teaching are continuously been talk about in both Western and Eastern culture. According to Hooks (2003), Love in education empowers the recognition between the educator and the learner. Moreover, what I believe is in order for a person to be a successful educator, they need to love what they do in principle, as well as love what they do every day - Teaching.

It is through love that one can form a real and true connection with the receiver of knowledge. If love is allowed to create an open channel of communication right from the start, the reward will be throughout the entire journey and beyond. Through love, the teacher can show that they truly care about the student and therefore make them pay more attention to the lesson and the knowledge from this particular teacher. I believe that this will create a bond that will last well beyond the academic term, and therefore the lessons taught will have a better chance of retention as well.

Contrary to a lot of opinion, I believe that a “friendly” teacher can go a long way in connecting with the students. Exchanging smiles, genuine greetings and concern, enquire about extra-curricular and other activities in order to widen the scope of the relationship with the students. I fully understand that this approach suits my natural personality and I can connect to my students on a much deeper and broader level. The trust factor increases and also the willingness to accept the knowledge from me are increased.

Teaching is a selfless way of giving out the knowledge and the experience to student. On another hand, teaching has always being my passion. James(1996) mentioned that teaching without passion is only knowledge delivery and tantamount to rote or mechanical skill. Hence, I strongly agree the significance of teaching with passion. Indeed, it is a very raw and basic emotion come from our heart that allows the student to be notice and detect easily. At the same time, hopefully to get reward of a passionate learner, James(1996). As an educator, we have to accept that there are countless ways for us to show our passion, whether it is for the technical aspects of the daily lesson, or the application of the subject in everyday life after the learner left school in the future, or maybe just passion through an interest in getting to know the student individually and creating a deeper personal bond. Most important, it is educator’s responsibility to continually keep the passion, presenting the enthusiasm and build the maximum interest for all learners of my subject.

References

Hooks, B.(2003).Teaching community: a pedagogy of hope. New York, NY: Routledge.

James, W.(1996). Teaching with a passion. American economist. Education connection. Winter 1996. Page199-200. https://watermark.silverchair.com

Abigail Ball : 24 May 2021 10:06 |  Tags: Philosophy Reflections Teaching Yu Zhang |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

What is your teaching philosophy? – Jemima

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?

At the heart of my teaching philosophy is my belief that education should be a holistic and enjoyable experience, that inspires students to become lifelong learners. The Jubilee Centre states that "To flourish is not only to be happy, but to fulfil one’s potential" (A Framework for Character Education in Schools, 2020). The school environment should be supportive and caring whilst providing opportunities that ignite students' curiosity and challenge them, so that they not only succeed academically but discover their full potential and flourish as individuals.

This view has definitely been shaped by my experience at my senior school, Malvern College. I was able to try my hand at a huge number of co-curricular activities, be engaged by memorable academic lessons and be part of a close-knit boarding community. My teachers motivated and challenged me, whilst explaining that the fear of failure should never be something that restricts you. I am a firm believer in the power of a growth mindset. Dweck explains that people with a growth mindset "believe that a person’s true potential is unknown (and unknowable); that it’s impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil, and training." (Dweck, 2012) I find this way of thinking incredibly empowering. It steers away from self-criticism and reveals that strength lies in potential.

No matter the quality of teaching, I understand that learning is incredibly difficult if the student is unhappy. I started boarding school at the age of eight and struggled with homesickness. Because of this, I now believe that pastoral care is actually more important than academic. Without the necessary support, it is very difficult for a child to flourish academically, socially or creatively. I would like my classroom to be an open, trusting space in which pupils feel comfortable.

I will be specialising in English and I find studying language and literature such a fascinating way to unpick human interactions and identities. I want to demonstrate how sensitivity and a critical eye towards texts can help students in their understanding of themselves, other people, and the world around them. I feel this is especially pertinent in an international setting, where students are encouraged to be culturally sensitive and globally-minded. Whilst at university I participated in a Global Leadership Experience with Common Purpose, in Mumbai. Much of the experience was centred around the idea of better understanding Cultural Intelligence. We studied Middleton's theory of Core and Flex (Middleton, 2014) to unpick the extent we can adjust our behaviour to interact with other cultures. Despite the fact this analogy was devised for global leaders, I believe this global and social self-awareness should be taught to everyone. It is something that can be nourished through studying literature and language, being curious about others and critical of our own preconceptions.

I aspire to be a teacher who facilitates a supportive learning environment in which students can be curious, critical, and challenge themselves and others, with a view to becoming independent learners and confident and compassionate adults.

Works Cited:

Dweck, C (2012). Mindset : How You Can Fulfil Your Potential. London: Constable & Robinson.

University of Birmingham Jubilee Centre (2020). A Framework For Character Education In Schools. [Online]. (https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/userfiles/jubileecentre/pdf/character-education/Framework%20for%20Character%20Education.pdf). (Accessed 26 October 2020.

Middleton, J. (2014) Cultural Intelligence: The Competitive Edge for Leaders Crossing Boundaries. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. [Online]. (https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/warw/detail.action?docID=1683525) ProQuest Ebook Central. (Accessed 16 August 2020).

Abigail Ball : 17 May 2021 10:13 |  Tags: Jemima Wilson Philosophy Reflections Teaching |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

What is your teaching philosophy? – Mai

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?

Learning is a lifetime activity. Although the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies through our experiences happens on a daily basis to people across all age groups, teachers are entitled to teach these pivotal skills of life to students in classroom settings. Teachers, in my teaching philosophy, do not merely reserve or transmit knowledge, but they ideally ‘adopt the mantle of guide, chief designer, cultural developer and leader of a classroom with a nuanced pedagogical practice.’ (Doucet 2019, p.74) Broader and more social approaches should be taken to learning when perceiving a student as a whole, as stated in Principle 1 of Teaching and Learning Research Programme’s Ten Principles (2012). Accumulation of critical skills such as foundational literacies and competencies is essential for our young people to flourish as active individuals thriving in the world of the 21st-century. (World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Education 2015)

In the context of teaching as a profession, developing expertise in the Japanese language has been crucial for me in providing a holistic approach with students. It was a life-changing encounter with my English teacher in Junior High School which triggered my further steps into the educational field. Not only was her advanced knowledge of English beneficial in improving students’ language skills, but I had also witnessed her as a diligent learner alongside students who need to make constant efforts to secure high standards of knowledge. This teacher transformed my concept of learning from receptive to productive. Using this newfound skills, I have joined Japanese Mother tongue and Heritage language Education and Research Association of Thailand (JMHERAT) to meet Japanese teachers from other international schools in Thailand regularly to improve the language skills and discuss the relevant topics and issues at their workshops.

My previous experience in studying Anthropology at university has also influenced the concept of learning to acknowledge the importance of national culture and its role, particularly in learning languages. To reflect this, I have implemented various cultural activities in my classes including, but not limited to singing Japanese songs and exploring Japanese food which noticeably improved the students’ engagement but also their interest for Japanese culture. This resulted in better knowledge retention. Having known a connection between authenticity and students’ motivation in language learning (Pinner 2019), I have intentionally adopted authenticity by using my original texts and genuine props from Japan in the class. With this technique, it is easier for students to imagine the situation in which the language will be used in a realistic context. My goal is to encourage students to observe the world from a global perspective while simultaneously engaging them with worldliness.

Equal opportunities should be offered to students regardless of individual learning abilities. When writing and reading time approached, one of my students showed signs of restlessness and irritability in the class. I urgently consulted the specialist in school and tailored lesson materials to support his writing and reading skills providing the Japanese Hiragana chart with large picture cards and the original Hiragana dictionary. This kinaesthethic approach to learning incorporates writing and reading skills effectively and beneficially as a part of a comprehensive approach. It is my intention to demonstrate through teaching that both teachers and students are on the same learning journey where individual efforts, interaction, and cooperation are crucial to achieving a goal.

References

Doucet, A. (2019). Teaching Life: Our Calling, Our Choices, Our Challenges. New York: Routledge.

Pinner, R. (2019). Authenticity and Teacher-Student Motivational Synergy: A Narrative of Language Teaching. Oxon, New York: Routledge.

Teaching and Learning Research Programme: Ten Principles (2012) [Online](URL http://reflectiveteaching.co.uk/books-and-resources/rts5/part1/ch4/).

World Economic Forum: New Vision for Education Unlocking the Potential of Technology. (2015) [Online].(URL http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_NewVisionforEducation_Report2015.pdf). Cologny/Geneva. (Accessed 12 August 2020).

Abigail Ball : 10 May 2021 16:44 |  Tags: Mai Trerattanavong Philosophy Reflections Teaching |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

What is my teaching philosophy? – Buddy

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?

I was fortunate that my first dreadful experience in education came later in life when I enrolled in a state university in Egypt. I grew up in an international setting and settled into private education where I was accustomed to direct communication with my teachers. However, it was evident that time with lecturers was going to be limited. The number of pupils exceeded one hundred per class and in the laboratories, there were just over half that number. According to Harris (2014), either the teacher creates an appropriate environment for learning, or it will be appropriated for them by other factors, in my case, class size. This change was detrimental to my learning and I was quickly aware of what I needed, a suitable learning environment.

Bates (2019) argues, it is not the teacher’s responsibility to only create a suitable learning environment for their pupils, but it is essential to view that environment from their perspective. My experiences teaching scuba diving have had a pivotal role in why I am choosing to focus on the learning environment. How does it affect pupil learning? And how, with minor tweaks to the way we teach, can we provide every pupil with a more fulfilling place in the classroom. My teaching philosophy is creating an optimal environment for pupils to be engaged and motivated to learn.

The first time I entered the classroom, I tried to include as many best practices as I could into my lessons. These practices were ones picked up from lesson observations, discussions with peers, and through my own experiences of instructing. However, when trying to ‘cram’ too much into one lesson it was evident that the focus was on the teaching rather than on the learning and as Goodwin and Hubbell (2013) explain, without a clear method of bringing all the best practices together they all resemble a “pile of junk”. Reflecting on my touchstones I needed to create a tailored classroom environment, one that adjusted to my own style of teaching. Once that was in place, something ‘clicked’ and pupils were learning effectively.

However, only focussing on the environment cannot be the only contributing factor to pupil learning. It is important that pupils go through the rigours of trying and failing to achieve their goals. In scuba-diving, courses are not built as a pass or fail, rather, as a base set of skills that once achieved the learner is granted a completion certificate. This doesn’t mean that pupils aren’t failing to complete skills but they are encouraged to try until they have mastered the task. Our role as a teacher is to create a safe space and promote learning from mistakes. Harris (2014) argues, if pupils were not experiencing failure, they would not have a resilient mindset which helps them get through difficult situations. That is why it is important that we do not remove all challenges from the path to success but promote a positive attitude to perseverance in the face of adversity.

I believe that my educational touchstones impact positively on my teaching philosophy. Reflecting on my experiences and using them to promote good teaching practices gives me confidence that what I am doing in the classroom is what makes me a better learner and in turn a better teacher.

Bibliography

Harris, B. 2014. Creating a Classroom Culture That Supports the Common Core, Taylor and Francis, London and New York, Available at: https://0-www-taylorfrancis-com.pugwash.lib.warwick.ac.uk/books/9781315849232 [Accessed 31/10/20]

Bates, A.W. (2019), Teaching in a Digital Age, BCcampus Open Textbooks. [Accessed on 29 October 2020]

Goodwin, B. & Hubbell, E.R., 2013. The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lgpRBAAAQBAJ [Accessed on 29/10/20].

Abigail Ball : 05 May 2021 09:13 |  Tags: Buddy Tolba Philosophy Teaching |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem