Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

Human nature shows us that people are inquisitive. We all want the answers to what we do not understand. We use what knowledge we do possess to try and rationalize and figure the best solution to the problems in our lives. It is through teaching that I feel I can have a great influence on students by teaching them how to think.

Thinking is a skill that must be developed and cultivated over time. Just like a fruit tree you must put in the work while the tree grows before you can eat the fruit. A student must learn how to think, before they are capable of mastering a complex skill. I believe it is my duty as an educator to prepare my students for life’s challenges. They must become creative problem solvers to survive in today’s modern world.

My teaching is based primarily on inquiry-based learning. I believe the best way to teach my students is to let them problem solve. I like to give them a set of tools and then let them figure out a creative solution to the problem. If they get stuck I want them to figure out how they can get assistance. I do this through a variety of different lessons. An example would be my extensive use of opinion writing in class. Students must state their opinion and be able to back it up with textual evidence. I also use many real life situations from my student’s world to build a school to home connection so it makes our subject matter relevant to their lives.

The teacher should be the support and coach for the student’s individual learning needs. Every student is different and therefore teaching them will require a slightly different approach for all students. By providing universal thinking tools the student’s own personal desire for learning will enable them to resolve whatever problem in life they may face.

Resources that have inspired my teaching philosophy