Philosophy of Teaching |
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My philosophy of teaching has evolved considerably since the first time I attempted to discern, first, what a "Philosophy of Teaching" is; and second, what would my philosophy look like? Now, two years later, I've reexamined my past musings and have come to the conclusion that for me personally, there are three key ingredients necessary for excellent instruction in a foreign language. The first element that comes to mind is to make instruction fun and worthwhile. In most schools, studying a foreign language is optional. That means, in addition to the general reasons for making instruction fun, such as motivation and level of engagement, a foreign language class needs to be something that students want to be in, and also want to stay in. That isn't to say I think instruction should be all fun and no challenge; the academic challenge is part of what makes it an appropriate course of study within a school setting. I believe it's best to find a balance between the two—if students enjoy time spent in class, and they can see that the amount of work they put in really does make an impact, I believe they will be more willing to work hard and reach the high expectations set for them. The second element that I would say is essential to excellent instruction of a foreign language would have to be the study of history and culture of the |
varying groups of people around the world who speak the target language. I believe the study of culture should be more than an after-thought supplement to language instruction. Through my own experience, I have come to believe that the study of world cultures should be a major goal of foreign language instruction, and that language should be the vehicle for that endeavor. What would be the point of learning a new language if you knew little to nothing of the cultures and people who speak it? This aspect of foreign language instruction provides students with a unique opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, and helps them to become more knowledgeable and capable members in our global society. The third, but certainly equally as important element of foreign language instruction concerns teacher self-evaluation. Even the best teachers are capable of improvement. A good teacher is one who continually examines and evaluates his/her own performance, and seeks ways to improve instruction. I don’t believe it is fair to expect excellence of our students without holding teachers to the same high standards. If anything, teachers should be held to even higher standards. I think that willingness to seek change and make improvements is what separates the really great teachers from average teachers. Change isn’t easy for anyone, but if the outcome means a better education for one’s students, a teacher should be open to and willing to make that change. |
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