My Teaching Philosophy

I took a course during the pandemic last year and I couldn't be more grateful for the exposure to certain aspects of literacy methodology I was exposed to. I was also required to write a teaching philosophy. It talks about who I am as a teacher and the techniques that I employ when teaching my learners. Get ready to meet me.

"TEACHING PURPOSE
I had my first teaching experience during the one year mandatory youth service. I was ill-equipped since education wasn't my field of study. I spent the first few months trying to acquaint myself with my roles and duties while also delivering lessons using the guide I was given. It was challenging since I was taking over 100 students but, before the end of my youth service, I'd fallen in love with teaching.

I teach because I have found it to be one of the most challenging, and at the same time, most fulfilling career paths. The ability to mould and shape; to groom and nurture; and help learners reach their full potential is an accomplishment worth celebrating.

Presently I teach all subjects in the primary curriculum even though I'm partial towards English Language. My short term goal is to produce learners who are outspoken and fluent in speaking English. While teaching other subjects, I find ways to link new words and vocabulary to our lessons in English so that learners can appreciate the interconnectedness of learning. My long term goals of teaching is to create a lifelong yearning for learning in learners so that they are self-motivated to acquire the required skills and competencies they need to excel outside the classroom.

TEACHING STYLE
I employ the Communicative Approach when teaching. I particularly like this approach because it encourages meaningful communication among learners and between teachers and learners. It also focuses on the four vital skills (reading, speaking, listening, writing).
I make use of authentic materials to aid learning such as videos, charts, age appropriate books and games. I combine this teaching style with the affective humanistic approach which puts my learners at ease and enables them to be more receptive to learning.

I understand that learners have different paces at which they learn and as such I employ methods from other approaches. Some learners benefit more from the hands-on approach that the Direct Approach provides while others such as the auditory learners benefit from the Audiolingual approach. I also lower the affective filter of students by making the classroom a positive environment where learners are not afraid to make mistakes.

TEACHING TECHNIQUE 
I always make my introduction to lessons very engaging so that I can have my students' full attention. Due to the short attention span of most learners in the elementary level, I use engaging videos and charts to stimulate their interest in the warm up activity. I also employ warm language and humour to put students at ease. Before moving on to a new topic, I ensure to link it to prior knowledge so that students appreciate how interconnected learning is. I stick to the 80/20 rule where 80% of my teaching time goes into practice and 20% goes into instruction and modelling. I do this by giving more time to hands-on activities where the students are involved. Through the guided practice, students get to work while I as the teacher guide them. During independent practice, they get to work by themselves or each other without undue interference from me. I also give take-home assignments to check that they are able to reproduce what they've learned outside the classroom. My assessments are mostly formative so that learners can focus on their strengths and targets instead of competing with one another."

Every teacher should have a teaching philosophy. You just read mine. Send us a message on WhatsApp for guidance on how to write yours. It acts as a great cover letter when applying for teaching positions.


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