In his work Emile, On Philosophy of Education, Jean Jacques Rousseau famously stated that “Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education.” This quote emphasizes the enduring importance of education throughout history. Education is widely recognized as a fundamental necessity for the survival of humanity. In virtually all societies, both men and women must possess literacy and numeracy skills in order to navigate daily life successfully. Today, individuals who lack education often find themselves at a significant disadvantage. Education plays an essential role in personal and societal development, making it crucial for our students to understand its benefits while also recognizing the invaluable contribution made by teachers.
Teachers play a crucial role in education and can assess their effectiveness through their teaching philosophy. A teaching philosophy reflects a teacher’s beliefs and approach to teaching and learning. It is essential for teachers to reflect on their teaching methods, the communication of messages to students, student responses, and overall outcomes.
I have chosen a career in teaching for various reasons. Some individuals choose this profession due to job security, while others stumble upon it unknowingly. However, my passion for teaching has been shaped by multiple factors. As an avid reader, I have always had a thirst for knowledge and continuously strive for personal growth through distance learning. This profession brings me job satisfaction because I possess qualities like love, trustworthiness, and empathy that allow me to assist students in overcoming their problems.
The intriguing nature of the teaching profession has allowed me to gain significant experience over the past eight years primarily working with prevocational students who have faced repeated failures in the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) exams. These students often struggle with low self-confidence and feelings of rejection due to various difficult circumstances such as financial issues, inadequate housing, and lack of proper nutrition.
My primary objective is to boost the self-esteem and regain the confidence of these students who are facing heart-rending challenges on their own.
In my classroom, I strive to create a positive and engaging atmosphere that fosters a love for school among all students, regardless of their academic backgrounds. My ultimate goal is for every student to leave the classroom having gained something valuable from our lessons. To capture their interest, I actively involve them in the learning process through interactive lessons. Managing the classroom comes naturally to me as I believe it is crucial for teachers to establish and maintain order. At the beginning of each year, I set up a code of conduct with new students to ensure a cooperative and respectful environment. The behavior and attitude displayed by me play significant roles in creating a positive atmosphere within the classroom. Promptly addressing any misbehavior is important. It is also essential to recognize that the classroom functions as its own society where students learn how to interact with one another. According to Lev Vygotsky, an esteemed Russian educator, the Zone of Proximal Development emphasizes that students have diverse backgrounds and skills. Therefore, it becomes my responsibility as an educator to tailor my lessons accordingly in order to meet each student’s individual needs. I strongly believe that learning is an ongoing process, and I use my students’ interests as a starting point for effective collaboration between myself and them.
Regarding our daily lesson plan, I propose a discussion on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. To enhance language development and support English instruction, my focus is on activities such as reading aloud, writing sentences, completing forms, and practicing grammar exercises.
In terms of mathematical-logical intelligence, I help students understand bills and receipts. For bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, I use role play and simple sketches to improve performance. The musical aspect of intelligence is developed through recitation of poems. Group work fosters interpersonal intelligence among the students. During brainstorming sessions, students are encouraged to express their opinions for intrapersonal development. Lastly, spatial intelligence is strengthened by asking students to imagine themselves as protagonists in a story.
According to Jean Piaget, intelligence involves adaptation through assimilation and accommodation processes where knowledge is constructed. As a facilitator, I incorporate innovative activities that allow students to assimilate information.
Equipping individuals with life skills is also an important aspect of education. John Dewey once said, “Education is not a preparation for life: Education is life itself.” Therefore, I implement various learning activities reflecting everyday experiences.
After all, acquiring knowledge without the ability to apply or understand its usage is not beneficial. So, for the well-being of my students, I select activities suitable for their needs.In order to help my students understand skilled occupations and the relevant vocabulary, I create a lesson on trades that encourages meaningful discussions. This is especially important for my students as they will be pursuing vocational training after three years of schooling. Planning lessons is an essential part of teaching, so I begin by assessing the current situation in my classroom to prepare accordingly. As my teaching approach revolves around student-centered learning, each class starts with a casual conversation and a review of the previous lesson. Gradually introducing new material based on what the students already know is also part of my strategy. Additionally, timing plays a crucial role in ensuring appropriate allocation for each activity. When it comes to actual teaching methods, I utilize various techniques including lecturing, brainstorming, group work, storytelling, role play, and educational games.
In the classroom, our goal is to create a learning-friendly environment. We use lectures to teach various topics like “My kitchen garden” and brainstorming sessions to encourage students’ thoughts on subjects like the “importance of science in today’s life.” These sessions aim to stimulate creative thinking. Additionally, we promote group work for cooperative learning. In these groups, students elect leaders, follow rules, share ideas, and build upon each other’s thoughts to reach understanding. This activity helps students become more outgoing and teaches them to respect others’ ideas – a skill valuable for their future careers.
Moreover, storytelling is employed as an effective tool for promoting critical thinking and moral development. As their role model, I instill values such as honesty, compassion, and justice in my students. It is crucial for adolescents to understand how these values apply in their lives. Moral reasoning plays a significant role in helping them differentiate right from wrong when facing real-life situations. To facilitate this process, I include simple role-plays where students practice appropriate behavior within scenarios resembling those at a bank. Through these exercises, students overcome shyness and develop self-confidence.
I believe that incorporating role play into the classroom is beneficial for students as it helps them prepare for future roles in life. To break the monotony of tedious work, I include educational games such as puzzles, crosswords, and scrabbles. These enjoyable activities, along with humor, help reduce tension among students. Furthermore, these unconventional activities also enhance learners’ vocabulary skills. In addition to these methods, I schedule educational film viewings every two months to further supplement their learning.
I have observed that such simple activities greatly assist pre-vocational students in acquiring the English language. As a reinforcement method, I assign classwork and homework to help develop their writing skills. Looking ahead, my teaching approach involves making optimal use of technology. Utilizing audiovisual aids has proven to be particularly effective as they serve as great teaching tools. Moreover, I aim to teach my students how to use Microsoft Word for letter typing and basic internet research.
This way, I ensure my students can keep pace with modern life since English is extensively used in both written and oral communication. In terms of teaching methodology, I incorporate audiolingual methods by having students listen to English music and poems.Furthermore, the use of physical activities can serve as a method to instruct English by issuing commands in English while performing these actions. In summary, the more my students are exposed to this second language through the techniques mentioned above, the greater their proficiency will develop. Furthermore, my teaching approach transforms and my professional persona expands as a consequence. The extensive knowledge I possess plays a vital role in cultivating a strong bond between me and my students.
