Teaching Philosophy 1

Running head: Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

Abigail Guerra

University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

Much like the subjects we teach, teaching philosophies are wide-ranging and diverse because

what works for one teacher may not be applicable for another. Our past experiences shape how

we view the world, and our teaching philosophies should encompass the lived experiences of our

students. Learning theories such as social constructivism and behaviorism also influence how we

choose to approach teaching and the ways that we engage and interact with our students.
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Teaching Philosophy

When I tell people I am studying to become a teacher, I always get asked why I would

choose such a profession. While there are some common themes in the way that teachers

respond, there is no one set answer to why some people choose to become the shapers of the

future through education. My beliefs about learning and teaching are that there is no one set way

to do either. Every classroom is made up of different students and teachers, and because of this

diversity in lived experiences we as educators need to have an arsenal of tactics and techniques to

properly engage our learners. With this in mind, no two classes are the same and therefore we

should not expect that the same method of doing things would work in both.

This essay will explain why I wanted to become a teacher, pre-determined goals I have

about the classroom setting and learning goals for future students, how different learning theories

shaped the way I will be as a teacher both in how I will conduct class and how I will select

teaching components, materials, activities and assessments, and how the combination of these

components will ensure my students will learn.

Becoming a teacher was always the dream for me since I was a young child. Of course, I

always changed my mind depending what I learned and was exposed to later in life, but I always

went back to becoming a teacher. In high school it became clear as to why I wanted to become a

teacher; teachers are the foundation of society. Teachers are some of the first influential people

that children meet, and these initial interactions can set students up for a lifetime of success.

Becoming a teacher means that I can help maintain and build that foundation for many years to

come. Students enter school as young children and leave the education system as legal adults.

This means that they spend most of their lives in a classroom setting, so the people that surround

them help make them into the people they are. The first official class I was in was a mess. The
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teacher took a leave of absence two weeks into the school year and none of the substitutes would

stick around long enough to teach. It was not until the school was able to hire a permanent

substitute that the class was able to begin. Reflecting back on this experience, it makes it easier

to see that having a worthwhile instructor in the classroom allows for the students to really

prosper and flourish. This early experience allowed me to realize that I could be that type of

instructor. My math teacher during my second year of high school taught her class in a way that

was both fun and engaging. She took the time to get to know her students and never gave up on

anyone, no matter the situation. This teacher cemented the idea of being a teacher as a profession

for me and is the reason I am studying something I love and truly enjoy. Having someone there

constantly and engaging with the students made a world of difference, and I would like to be this

difference for students one day.

The math teacher I had during high school became the model of the type of teacher I want

to be and the learning environment I plan on creating. I strive to be the type of teacher that

students are comfortable approaching but that they respect the person in charge during instruction

time. The environment needs to be welcoming and nurturing to all students, not only those who

excel at the subject. There is a fine line between being a good, welcoming teacher and being the

teacher that students see as friend. When the students see a teacher as a friend they tend to not

really show the teacher the respect they deserve nor would they put that much effort into their

work because they would feel that the teacher would help them pass the class no matter what.

One way to walk this fine balance is to set firm behavioral guidelines not just for the students but

myself as well. By outlining how I expect our interactions to go, my students will recognize my

authority while having clear ideas on how to interact with me in a professional and respectful

manner. For classroom routines, I will create a set routine for my students to follow when they
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come into the classroom. One of the teachers I was able to observe had a set routine for her

students. The students would come into class, take out their belongings, hang up their backpacks,

put their phones in the charging station, and started to work on the warm up. I thought that it was

really impressive and helpful for the overall feel of the class. Every teacher wants their students

to be able to not only understand the concepts taught in the classroom but to also be able to

master the material. I had the same goals before taking one specific class towards my degree.

This class was not an education class but instead a math class that focused on the use of tangrams

to teach how to think critically. This class allowed me to realize that as teachers, we do not focus

on having our students think critically as much as we should. We tend to have the students learn

material to help them with the next assessment and how to use formulas instead of thinking about

those formulas come about and being able to think critically. This class showed me the

importance of not just knowing the material but knowing how to apply critical thinking skills.

My experience in this class helped define one of my learning goals, which is for students to be

able to think critically even without being asked to. This learning goal is integral to my teaching

philosophy because I want my students to learn that the subject being taught (mathematics) is not

as awful as they make it. I used to be the type of kid who hated math with a burning passion and

it was not until I had a math teacher who really took the time to break the concepts down and

explain everything in ways that make sense that I fell in love with the subject. Not everyone is

going to love the subject, but I want my students to walk away seeing math as something more

than just something they need to pass while in school and never care about after their academic

career is over.

Past experiences are not the only thing that will shape how I want to be as a teacher; as

several learning theories also played a role in the creation of my teaching philosophy. My
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teaching philosophy is a blend of both cognitive constructivism and social constructivism with a

little bit of behaviorism. With social constructivism, I believe that all students have different

understandings of the same material and by having students work in groups, each of the students

bring something that maybe others have not thought of or seen before. One of the big things that I

learned throughout college is that students sometimes might have to take learning into their own

hands. I aim for my students to gain these skills in an environment where they are encouraged to

take an active role in their own learning but are not forced to teach themselves the material.

When students set their own goals, they will feel more accomplished once they reach those goals

because they were involved in their learning process the entire way through. The touch of

behaviorism is there because as a teacher you have a major impact in your student’s life, meaning

you can help them see right from wrong, and that can start in the classroom. Positive

reinforcement is something every person craves even if it is for the smallest of things, and

teachers can be great sources of positive encouragement and behavior enforcement. Once

students get positive reinforcement, they become more motivated to do better or keep doing the

same thing that gained them that reinforcement.

The learning theories also play a part into my selection of teaching components, materials,

activities, and assessments. Social constructivism will guide me by choosing materials and

activities that would allow students to work in groups and encourage them to work with others to

gain a deeper understanding of the course materials. Social constructivism will be the most

useful in the creation of formative assessments because it would allow me to determine if the

students understand the material without being singled out. Cognitive constructivism will guide

me by having me choose materials, activities, teaching components and assessments that help the

students take any active role in their own learning. This active role could be anything from
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researching famous mathematicians to thinking critically about how something came to be in the

math world. I will also include materials, activities, teaching components and assessments that

allow me to use behaviorism throughout the school year. A simple example of an activity is

offering extra credit for doing a study guide before a test. By choosing activities that promote

positive reinforcement and continuing the act that lead to the reinforcement, the students will be

motivated to continue this behavior.

The biggest part of being a teacher is having your students actually learn. There are five

main ways to ensure student learning that I would focus on in my own classroom. Having

students be actively involved in the lesson allows the students to do more than just sit in a class

and take notes day after day. Providing organization and structure through clearly defined goals,

learning objectives and standards for performance- helps students stick to the routine of the

classroom and gives them a set of expectations that influence how they will work both in and

outside the classroom. Giving students frequent feedback allows them to know what topics they

might be struggling in or what topics they are doing well in and lets the teacher know which

areas and concepts students may be having a bit more difficulty with. Another important part of

my teaching philosophy is helping my students make connections between what we are learning

in class and their lived experiences outside the classroom. When students know how the subjects

they are learning are connected to the real world, they become more open to the idea of learning

the subject for more than just passing a class to get the credit. The last idea that I would focus on

is giving students opportunities for independence and choice. This focus allows students to have

some say about certain things in their learning environment and react in a more positive way

when compared to just being told what to do all the time. The choices will not have to be major

(what to learn/when to learn what), but rather small choices (group members, how to go about a
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project) that give them some control over how they experience the class. When the students have

a voice in the classroom, they are more engaged to what is being taught because they are directly

involved in their learning process and outcomes.

If my past experiences and education courses have taught me anything, it is that there is no

cookie cutter model for teaching. There is no single way to manage a classroom, and while my

teaching philosophy and strategies are fairly broad in how they can executed, there is still room

to accommodate diversity and difference.