This week while reading, The First Days of School, I realized a lot of things from my own educational experience as a student and also about the kind of educator I would like to be.
In the reading it described how critical the first day of school is to the student and the teacher. Excitement is running high for both and a chance for a fresh start is about to begin. It is important for the teacher to establish for his or her students what kind of classroom they will have throughout the year. I never really thought about how important that first day is. As a student I was most excited to meet my new teachers and find my classes and see who was in my classes. But now as I think more about it I find that as a student I made a quick judgment that first day as to whether or not I would like my teacher. It is an important time to build that respect with your students, respect that will be kept all semester or year if it is earned.
Teaching Philosophy
I believe that as an educator I must help each student find their potential and give them the tools they need to seek out and learn all that they can. I think that as a teacher I have a responsibility to prepare myself the best I can in order to help and inspire those that I teach and come in contact with on a daily basis. I feel that being able to teach someone requires dedication, time, and patience. Some say, “those who cannot do, teach.” But I feel it is more like those who chose not to do, teach and inspire. I feel that teaching is a privilege that should not be taken lightly.
I want to focus my teaching courses on multimedia arts such as film and photography. When I was younger it was hard for me to want to learn math and science. I never felt inspired by fractions or how water is evaporated. I always was interested in the arts and how one can be taken to a new place by never having to eave their seat. I want to teach students how to bring new things to life and find their own creativity. I don’t want to just teach about film and photography and how it all works. I want to demonstrate how important these different types of art are and how to appreciate them and other forms of art in the world.
Some may say that film classes and other multimedia classes may be a waste of a student’s time, but I know that when I was in high school those elective classes were the ones that got me through the day. They gave me something to look forward to. I want to have a class that students want to come to learn and feel comfortable in my class. To do this I believe preparation is key. A class with structure and purpose help the students feel comfortable and have confidence in their instructor and know they can come to them for help.
Another important aspect of teaching is to understand and know your students. The teachers that I have respected the most were the ones who took the time to get to know me and treat me like a person and not just another student. As a teacher I will go out of my way to talk with each of my students. I will learn of their background and home life so I might better know their strengths and weaknesses to help them achieve and accomplish that in which they desire.
I believe that a good way to help each student to be an individual is to make the classroom a place for participation from each student. My class will not be one of one-way communication. Each student will participate in his or her own way. Whether it be answering questions aloud or reading from text or even just sharing something about himself or herself to the class. This not only improves the students’ confidence but also facilitates each student to get to know their classmates. When each student knows each other then the classroom becomes a much more comfortable place open to learning.
All of these ways that I have shared that are important to me as a teacher are what I have discovered through my own educational experience and how I have seen what is effective to help others learn. The last key to teaching that I think is most important is quality. My teaching needs to be of high quality in order to reach out to my students. I will do this by setting realistic goals knowing the capabilities of myself and of my students.
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