Philosophy of Education
Ever since I can remember I have had a love for learning and teaching. I had my own easel and I would sometimes sit for hours “teaching” an imaginary class. Sometimes I would play teacher/student with my real friends. I had an old assignment book and I loved to assign homework. I was always puzzled when my friends didn’t want to do the homework because I thought doing homework was fun!
I believe that all living things are happier when they are learning. Boredom creates depression and misbehavior . The owner who leaves his dog home alone all day will likely come home to a destroyed piece of furniture or two. People, too, need brain stimulation to keep them happy and content.
I want to share my love of learning with a classroom of students. I have always thought the best way to learn is by learning the practicality of a subject. Take math for instance: most of my teachers taught math by assigning a certain number of problems (including story problems) and just giving me a formula to use for them and never really explained why I used that formula or why it worked to use that particular formula. That is not realistic to how the real world is. I want to prepare my students for the real world.
I will be teaching French. I want to make sure my students learn to speak the language well because that is practical. Some of my French teachers in the past did not have me speak French in class enough, nor did the teacher speak French in class very often. On the other hand, I have had teachers that only spoke French in class. I started to think in French when I had teachers consistently speaking to me in French and that is what helped me the most.
I am realistic enough to realize that not all students are going to be a sponge for learning; not all of them are going to love to learn like I do. In order to get students motivated to learn I think it is important to show them the practicality of what they are learning and to set goals in the classroom. I want to show them how beneficial and enjoyable it will be to them one day to know French fluently. If a student can see that a goal is within reach, it will hopefully inspire the student to learn more, especially once it is realized what he/she can do with the goals (i.e. travel to France and be able to understand and speak fluently).
I think that testing and grades are good motivators for students to do well and are good indicators of where the students might be struggling. Grades are a huge motivator for me and I get a great sense of accomplishment when I work hard and earn grades. When teaching a foreign language I think oral exams are key. Oral exams are important because the preparation for them helps the student succeed in more than just the exam.
I want my students to know that gaining knowledge is the key to unlocking many doors. I want them to know that doing well in school will help them do well in life. I want to share my motivation to learn with others.
