Text of Reflection Video
I am amazed at how my teaching philosophy has developed throughout student teaching. I began this experience nervous, timid, and even a little intimidated by middle school students. Now 11 weeks into student teaching, I am a different person. I am confident in my teaching ability. I am confident in my relational connections with students. I am confident in my decision-making on the spot. My mentor teacher has commented on the change. A few weeks in, she could tell I was getting more comfortable, but then two weeks ago she said something snapped. She could think of no other word than natural. Teaching has become a natural extension of who I am and who I was meant to be as a career woman. Before student teaching, I would have said my teaching philosophy was student-based. I would have said the environment and the relationships mattered more than the content. I still believe this, but now I know what it actually looks like in practice. In practice, my philosophy looks like calling on the student I know will be off-topic so I can redirect him and make it a learning moment for his own growth. My philosophy looks like working in small groups to master content knowledge, even when I know the class may be louder and harder to manage. My philosophy looks like spending the time to find breakthrough, exciting new methods to engage students and make learning content more relevant and inspirational.
One of the best ways to incorporate relevant and inspirational teaching is through technology. Technology is constantly evolving and as teachers, we need to evolve as well. I have seen how my mentor teacher uses some of the same lessons year after year. These are the one of a kind, extremely creative, beloved-by-students type of lessons. Then I have seen her take one out that she used a couple years in a row and decide to do something different. If we are bored by our own lessons, there is no way we can expect students to stay engaged. One use of technology is simply research for the teacher. There are numerous blogs published by extraordinary teachers with ideas for curriculum, lesson plans, group activities, even something as minute as discussion questions. It is worthwhile to spend the time looking at these resources on a weekly basis. Another use of technology is student-led. Students should be typing out essays, researching sources on the internet, reading current events, and keeping track of their assignments and grades. All of this is computer-based and it is an intelligence our students will need to have in their adult lives. Making them comfortable with these tools is part of our job as teachers. Finally technology is useful for the creative advancements available that even students who are in college right now did not have access to in middle school. Websites and apps have test review formats that allow competition and fun to help students prepare for tests. There are presentation and video methods on tablets and laptops that help structure group research activities, speeches, or guide the jigsaw method where students teach students. All of this used to be on paper; now it can be on an interactive screen or a digital format that is fast paced and stimulating. These are the kinds of tools that we must relearn every year as changes in technology happen. I am confident I will be able to find new, innovative uses of technology for my classroom every year.
While technology and effective teaching methods are important, the number one factor in who I become in the classroom is my call to love and serve my students. In the beginning of this course, the textbook reminded us as student teachers that we “must reflect on what [we] believe about the education system and why [we] decided to become teacher[s]” (Chapter 2). I became a teacher to be a safe, loving, encouraging person in students’ lives, while preparing them for adulthood through academic learning. I believe all students can learn. I believe all students are worthy of time and attention. I believe all students are unique and offer a picture of God’s majestic creation. Through this view, I have determined the legacy I want to leave behind as a teacher. I will be the one who sees students as individuals, who teaches them about life and about English, who provides support even when no one else will, who encourages them to love themselves, who believes in their futures. There are a number of ways to promote this view in my classroom, but the ones that stand out to me include: creating a warm classroom environment through relationships, providing students with a purpose for their assignments, attending extracurricular activities to cheer on students, and opening my classroom before and after school for assistance or support. These methods center around my purpose as a teacher: to love and serve students.
Resources
St. Arnauld, E.M., Simpson, J., O' Donnell, C., McCabe, C., Akard, J., Kosier, K.,...Murray, V. (2016). Teaching with a Purpose: Learning, Leading, and Serving (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/eed480na/teaching-with-a-purpose-learning-leading-and-serving/v2.1/index.php#/help
St. Arnauld, E.M., Simpson, J., O' Donnell, C., McCabe, C., Akard, J., Kosier, K.,...Murray, V. (2016). Teaching with a Purpose: Learning, Leading, and Serving (2nd ed.). Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/eed480na/teaching-with-a-purpose-learning-leading-and-serving/v2.1/index.php#/help
