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Teaching philosophy
- 1. Philosophy of Education Sandra Jaquette My goal as a science or biology teacher is to effectively teach all my students and instill in them a love of science. As a future educator, I have developed beliefs on what the ideal education is, and how I will deliver that experience to my students. My teaching philosophy encompasses three areas. First of all, an effective teacher must provide students with the opportunity to acquire, practice, and receive reinforcement of fundamental knowledge and skills. Secondly, a good teacher encourages students to think, by teaching them not to accept information passively, but to question, analyze, and test newly acquired knowledge. Third, an effective teacher will design instruction which motivates students and provides them with both real world connections to the content and opportunities for success. Students need to build fundamental knowledge of the unifying concepts in science. As a teacher, I will communicate knowledge by taking into account diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences. This will be accomplished by presenting concepts in different ways such as lecture, multi-media presentations, problem solving, and cooperative grouping. In addition, because each student is unique and learns in different ways, lessons will be differentiated by including scaffolding, and adapting whole group lessons for diverse learners. Students will know that my classroom is a safe place to learn, where differences are accepted, and there are high expectations for behavior and learning. I will strive to maintain a classroom where students will feel comfortable to explore ideas, make mistakes, ask questions and take part in discussions. A priority for science or biology teachers should be for students to leave the classroom understanding how to be critical of science, analyze science, and relate new science knowledge to their daily lives. I believe that guided inquiry based instruction and collaborative learning are very effective ways to teach these skills. Inquiry helps students practice problem solving and critical thinking skills and by applying these higher-order thinking skills, students can process knowledge that enables them to become independent learners. Equally important, students will use these skills throughout their lives, either in a science career, or in other rapidly changing areas such as technology and medicine. As a scientist, a teacher should inspire curiosity in students. Capturing students’ interest in science is crucial not only to improving science learning, but to promote science literacy in order to prepare students for a society that is very science and technologically driven. Motivation is a critical criterion in the learning process. Teacher attitude and enthusiasm toward the subject plays an important role in engaging students. My students will see that I am engaged and interested in the subject of science and they will be inspired to learn. Students are also motivated by active learning; therefore, I want my classroom to be student-centered. Techniques such as think-pair-share, student choice for lesson process and produce, and group discussions are ways to motivate students to learn, and help them take control of their own learning process. Finally, due to the ever changing realm of science and education in the 21 st Century, I believe that it is critical to be a lifelong learner. This will allow me to always be on the cutting edge of new developments in science education so that I can be the best teacher possible for my students. I will continually be learning through research, classroom experience, and interaction with my peers. In addition, I will continue to improve my teaching skills by engaging in reflection, allowing me to think critically about what is working and what is not. This will enable me to adapt my teaching to better meet the needs of my students.