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Teaching is more than a job; it is in me, and I am fortunate to be practicing the noble profession I enjoy. Due to being a lifelong learner of educational psychology and teaching, my philosophy of teaching is always expanding. However, I do have a core philosophy about teaching and have developed some core beliefs on aspects of teaching that help shape my teaching.      ​​​

Core philosophy

My philosophy of teaching stems from the difficulties I had as a learner in my youth.    

My teaching is most closely associated with nurturing perspective of teaching while also being highly influenced by cognitive learning theories and constructivism (social constructivism). I strive to develop a motivational class environment that engages all students and encourages students who are struggling to do their best. Some of the expectations I have for my students are:

• Attain deep understanding of content.

• Feel comfortable in sharing thoughts and ideas.

• Become self-sufficient learners

Motivation:  

          I believe motivating students to succeed is the key to teaching. I tend to emphasis mastery goals in my classes (goal theory is a major part of motivation). Grades should not be the main goal; I prefer that my students want to attain deep understanding of content which they can relate to and use outside of my class. In order to motivate my students to care about a lesson I try to choose and develop content that is relevant, entertaining, challenging, and achievable. Students tend not to get motivated by content and tasks that do not help them meet their academic and/or personal goals.

           Motivation is a cornerstone of my teaching; it is associated with just about every belief I have and is a major part of my teaching philosophy.

​Teaching/learning content:

          I believe learning and understanding content (topic, lessons, materials, and activities) is important.  Determining what is suitable for each class can be challenging. There are many variables like class size, class environment and the average knowledge base of the students. I try to make judgments based on my students’ needs, my philosophy of teaching, and the curriculum. I prefer to introduce a relatively moderate amount of course material and assignments, which are challenging yet attainable. I want my students to have time to reflect and use metacognition while they are engaged in their learning tasks.

Collaborative learning environment:

           I believe establishing an open, safe, collaborative learning environment helps nurture discussions, peer learning, active learning, and motivation to continue learning.  I try to set the learning environment by explaining to my student that we (including the teacher) are all there to learn from each other; we all have different background and skills, which will enrich the class. I want my student to feel comfortable to share ideas and participate. Knowing how to interact with others collaboratively is a very useful skill at work. One of the key features of collaborative learning is peer learning. Weaker students are not the only ones who benefit from the interaction. I believe students who have better understanding of the material should be informed that they also benefit by helping others learn. The process of explaining concepts to others is considered one of the best methods of learning and retaining knowledge.

Relating with Students:

          I believe knowing each student’s background, interests, and skills is important. I enjoy interacting and relating with my students in a friendly yet professional manner. Understanding some things about my students helps me:

• Build a strong collaborative class atmosphere

• Pose questions that are more relevant to individual students or explore themes relevant to most of the class.

• Build two-way communications with my students; Student may be more likely to ask for help, share concerns or give me feedback on my performance as a teacher.   

Active learning:     

          I believe active learning leads to deep understanding. Students in my classes demonstrate their understanding by discussing, writing, creating, collaborating and exploring lesson themes from many points of view. I tend to introduce many active learning activities throughout each class; these activities may include simulation, group discussion, class project, reciprocal reading and “productive field trips.” I would like to introduce case studies in future classes (If applicable). I must say that I am not opposed to lecturing; it is useful for clarifying complex concept and summarizing information.         

          Students have many learning styles and preferences of teaching/learning methods. Introducing short lectures and a variety of active learning activities within a class lesson is often motivational or at the very least keeps students awake. 

Teaching learning  

          I believe student should be aware and learn about learning.  Some students may not realize they are intelligent or may not realize they are using the wrong strategies to study and learn. I want my students to think about thinking (use metocognative skills); this cognitive process involves thinking about oneself as a learner and knowing which strategies to use in order to accomplish academic tasks. I have developed several ways to introduce learning skills into my classes; these include conducting learner style inventories, asking students how they prepare for tests, and suggesting learning strategies that I believe will help them perform better.

           I have administered several learning style inventories. I believe these inventories: 

• Help student know what their learning styles are.

• Helps student understand what study methods best suit them.

• Helps students think metacognativily.

• Increases student’s self-esteem and motivation. 

• Help students succeed in class and reach personal goals.

• Help me understand my students better.

Assessment

          I believe students should be given many and various opportunities to demonstrate their comprehension. I understand that students have different skills and perform differently on various methods of assessment. They may also suffer from test anxiety, which can be very psychology detrimental. In order to give my students opportunities to succeed and lower test anxiety levels. I use many forms of assessment, including projects, simulation, games, quizzes, and tests. Tests usually have multiple-choice and essay items. I prefer criterion based grading because students can be given the grades they deserve and the system is designed for non-competitive learning environments.

          In conclusion, there are many ways to help students succeed. I am not locked into any of my beliefs or teaching methods. My philosophy of teaching guides me, but at the end it’s all about the students and the realities of the educational system.