Philosophy of Teaching Statement Comanchette McBee

I first became interested in teaching because I wanted to share my passion for learning with others. To me, being a teacher is much akin to being a motivational speaker; my goal is to motivate and inspire students so that they can improve their lives. While preparing students for their future careers is important, the goals of an educator should also transcend the career by preparing students for life. I give students many important tools to help them adapt to the challenges of a career, but I also give them the tools to enrich their lives in rewarding ways. A thirst for knowledge sets up students for success by putting them on a path of self-discovery and excitement. By constantly seeking out knowledge, students will learn, grow, and adapt. Life is constantly changing with new challenges to overcome every day, and an interest in learning allows individuals to overcome those challenges. I use specific strategies in my classes to encourage student success and curiosity. I believe effective teaching starts at the personal level, with the instructor. The attitude and personality of the instructor shapes the entire class. The best way to engage students, then, is to be enthusiastic, friendly, and approachable from the very first day of class. This shows students that the class is going to be fun and engaging, and it also makes students feel comfortable and safe. To show that Im friendly and approachable, I try to get to know the students well. In some classes, I have even instituted a question of the day. At the beginning of class, I ask students a question, like What is your favorite type of music? while I take roll. I learn something new about the students each day, and they become comfortable talking in front of the class. Often, they begin to feel like the class is a supportive learning community. One student even noted on an evaluation that the class was really like a group. Good teamwork. I encourage students to ask questions, share their opinions, and see me during office hours. I want to keep communication open between myself and students, and I hope they see me as a teacher and as a mentor who will help them in any way I can. The crux of my teaching philosophy is a student-centered curriculum. To me, this means putting the needs of students first and getting them involved in their own learning. To achieve this, I incorporate large and small group activities, class discussions, hands-on practice, and collaborative projects. For students to fully engage with their learning, I find it important for students to go from passive vessel to active participant. Socrates is often attributed as saying, Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. Whether or not the source of the quote is accurate, the concept behind it certainly is. Students absorb and understand material better when they interact with it. Rather than just mindlessly ingesting the material, they have to critically think about the material, understand it, and build upon its concepts. This is also why discussions are crucial; students are forced to discuss the material intellectually and think about it in new ways, often from different perspectives. Students can learn a great deal from one another, and to restrict learning to just one perspectivethat of the teacherdoes not allow for important multicultural perspectives to emerge. Many of my students seem to really enjoy discussions, and

they often get very passionately engrossed in them. I enjoy seeing them become animated about learning. As they come to realize their opinions matter, I believe they are able to see the ways they can contribute their informed opinions to their career fields, their communities, and the world. I believe in Paulo Freires idea that in the classroom everyone should be simultaneously teachers and students because we are all capable of teaching and learning (Pedagogy of the Oppressed 72). Through discussions, lectures, and structured activities, I steer students towards learning, but the real learning can only take place within the self. My classes benefit students in a myriad of ways. They are required to communicate effectively, to collaborate with others, to share their opinions, to respect others opinions, to think critically, to problem solve, and to be accountable for their own learning. These skills are extremely important in enriching students personal and civil lives, and, of course, will be valuable skills in any career the students aspire to. To further enhance student learning, I integrate technology into the classroom whenever possible. Because technology has become ubiquitous in our society, I find it important to both use and teach technology. Using videos that illustrate key concepts, for example, is particularly helpful in boosting student comprehension. I have often employed this technique, such as when teaching students about satire in literature. I introduce satire first by showing students satireladen clips of The Simpsons. As they are often more familiar with such shows, it allows them to easily understand the concept and then apply it to different modes of communication, furthering comprehension. I also use PowerPoint and Prezi presentations to display information in clear ways, so that students understand the material better. Most importantly, though, I extend learning beyond the classroom through online learning platforms such as Moodle, Blackboard, and WebCT. While I am quite capable at using technology effectively, I realize that flexibility is extremely important. Thus, I create alternative plans whenever possible, and I encourage my students to do the same. In addition to this, I also teach students how to integrate visuals into word documents, how to create effective presentations, how to analyze advertisements and other media, and how to write emails effectively. As our society is saturated with media, I believe teaching media literacy is becoming increasingly important. As I continue to help students work towards their future goals, I am constantly working towards my own goals as well. In my role as an instructor, I do this in a few different ways. I enjoy reading about composition pedagogy, and I often seek out articles that will help me develop my teaching techniques. Furthermore, I take the feedback from my mentors and students very seriously. When Im told that I could improve in certain areas, I lay out concrete goals for improvement. For example, in the past, some of my student suggested that I did not give enough helpful feedback on their papers. Since then, I have worked on giving more concrete feedback in many different areas on their papers, including positive reader-response feedback. This strategy seems to have worked; I have received a great deal of positive responses about the quality of my feedback since then, both on evaluations and in person. As I continue to work on my teaching techniques, I am satisfied knowing that I am already off to a great start. I have received very positive feedback from mentors, peers, and students alike. I know that as I continue to learn and grow as an instructor, so will my students continue to learn and grow from me. McBee 2