Monday, September 24, 2007
teaching philosophy
A philosophy of composition or a philosopy of teaching is the combination of ideas about writing and learning and methods of helping students learn that guide teachers' decisions in the classroom. For example, as we've been talking about in class, some writing instructors believe that grammar should be taught in classes while others don't. Teaching philosophies definitely vary from instructor to instructor, evident in the different types of activities and assignments in classes. In my own teaching philosophy, I believe that I will want to incorporate more of a discussion-based classroom than lecture. I'm not sure how well I will be able to pull this off at first, but I'm certainly going to try. And while I believe grammar is terribly important, I'm hoping that I won't beat it into my students' heads but that I will instead make it something that is interesting and enlightening. As to everything else that goes into teaching, I'm not quite sure yet. I know that I want my classroom to be fun and a place where students aren't afraid to talk about their thoughts and ideas, but don't all teachers? I'm sure I'll discover other areas of my teaching philosophy as I get closer to actually getting into a classroom of my own.
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2 comments:
I think you have a good handle on what type of classroom you hope to have. I agree that a classroom should be (1) a place where education is shared and (2)a place that the students enjoy. I think that if the students don't enjoy coming to class, the semester tends to drag as if we are all awaiting the end of a prison term.
One thing to keep in mind is that in the educational aspect it is a two-way street. The students have a lot to teach us while we share our knowledge with them. If they feel that you are a fellow learner, they tend to be more willing to accept what you have to say.
I think you have the right sort of idealism about the classroom, if not the sort of practical experience to find ways of implementing your ideas (neither do I...). But the nice thing about a teaching philosophy is that, while the basic tenants and ideology may remain, the various methods for reaching those goals can change as you grow as a teacher. Indeed, we were talking in our class the other day about how that ability to change is vital. As we begin to have our first teaching experiences and classrooms, it is nice to know that you don't have to have everything figured out all at once.
Val (section 001)
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