MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Jairyn Gillis / 2016

WHAT DO I BELIEVE?

I believe the ultimate goal as a teacher is to develop a love for learning within my students. Although I believe that everyone possesses the capabilities to learn, the desire to learn is a

critical component to successfully understanding new concepts and skills. In my experience, both as a current student and a

future teacher, the greatest teachers are more than just teachers; the role of a teacher is multifaceted, and the relationship between him or her and the students is much

more meaningful than it is given credit. Madonna Murphy, in her article titled “Plato’s Philosophy of Education and the

Common Core debate” outlines some of Plato’s teaching philosophy that I sincerely agree with:

“This brings us to a more important role for the teacher in the Platonic

system of education and that is the relationship that should from

between the teacher and the student. Plato feels that learning will take

place more easily when the learned and the teacher have a great love

for one another, for thus, the young students will be willing to listen to

the master and try to emulate him because he loves him. The teacher

must have a deep affection for his/her students in order to be

successful teaching them.” (Murphy, 2015)

My job, as a teacher, is to create an atmosphere built around

respect and understanding, and to demonstrate those

attributes to my students. I believe that respect for my

students is one of the most important things I can show - not

only to foster a love of learning, but also to inspire them to

respect their peers and others.

“No significant learning occurs without

a significant relationship.” – James Comer

WHAT MAKES A GREAT TEACHER?

“The mediocre

teacher tells. The

good teacher

explains. The

superior teacher

demonstrates. The

great teacher

inspires.”

― William Arthur Ward

My goal as a teacher is to

inspire; inspire learning,

inspire inquiry, and –

especially – inspire creativity.

All of my personal passions

have foundations in art and

creativity. The deepest form

of understanding, according

to the infamous Blooms

Taxonomy, is to create. It

seems only appropriate for a

teacher to inspire creativity,

among the other forms of

understanding, in his or her

own classroom.

TEACHING STRATEGIES

It is well known in the education community that there are multiple learning styles: some learn

best with direct instruction, some through hands-on experience, some are motivated by

discussion, while others absorb best when they read and reflect. I find inquiry-based teaching,

where the learners “[listen] to each other, [respect] each other’s ideas, [build] on each other’s

ideas, and [understand] that there may be no single right answer” (Scholl, 2014) to be the most

effective strategy for nearly all types of learners. I encourage learning by creating a relaxed

environment for students, stimulating conversation, and presenting material in the most

engaging way possible. Making subjects relevant and applicable to everyday life helps keep

students engaged, as well. I plan to experiment with different methods and means of presenting

information in class in order to continuously improve the learning environment I create for

students.

SO, WHAT IS MY PHILOSOPHY?

Based on textbook surveys, the information I’ve read from multiple articles, and the information

I’ve written on my beliefs in this handout, you might categorize me as a progressivist or a social

reconstructivist. However, I am still

learning, and I am not sure I can

confidently identify a philosophy – at

least not yet. One concept I hope to

communicate to my students is that

learning is a process that never ends:

“The teacher’s vulnerability,

humility and submission to

philosophical, dialogic inquiry with

the children are crucial to the

success of this approach to philosophical inquiry in the classroom. Teachers must

genuinely view themselves as learners and act as model learners for their students…This

process of becoming is progressed through reflection.” (Scholl, 2014)

I plan to continue studying learning theories in order to expand my understanding of how

learning takes place. As I continue to evolve as a person, as well as a teacher, I imagine my

philosophy will be continuously evolving as well.

References:

Bailey, R., Barrow, R., Carr, D., & McCarthy, C. (Eds.). (2010). The Sage handbook of philosophy of education.

London, UK: Sage.

Hegarty, N. (2015). The Growing Importance of Teaching Philosophy Statements and What They Mean for the Future:

Why Teaching Philosophy Statements Will Affect You. Journal Of Adult Education, 44(2), 28-30.

Murphy, M. M. (2015). Plato's Philosophy of Education and the Common Core Debate. Online Submission.

Scholl, R. (2014). "Inside-out Pedagogy": Theorising Pedagogical Transformation through Teaching

Philosophy. Australian Journal Of Teacher Education, 39(6)