After more than a year and a half working here (ICPNA), I think I have collected enough information and data as to have some kind of teaching philosophy. When I first started, my knowledge of teaching was quite limited. However, I learned. Every month that I've worked here has brought its own se
t of challenges. I faced those challenges head on and they became learning experiences. Every feedback I've had has helped me understand in detail the methodology of teaching that is expected here. The teachers I've observed have been of tremendous help as well, discussing with me what best works for them and sharing their valuable experiences. Furthermore, the two ELT courses online I've taken have made me more confident in my own abilities and especially in my own knowledge of English language teaching. In the following lines I shall describe three aspects that define my teaching philosophy.
1. Each student is unique. The first and maybe the most important thing I've learned in all the months I've worked here is that every class is different. Even if the course is the same, the people always change. Every student has specific goals, expectations and attitudes towards learning English, and as a teacher, I believe it is of great importance to analyze each student's needs to the best of our abilites. If we as teachers take the time to really understand our students' motivations, then we'll be able to tailor our instruction to get the best out of them.
2. Student-centered classes. I've been through my share of teacher-centered classes in the past, at school or in the university, and to some extent I understood why that approach was used. However, when it comes to language teaching, I believe that a student-centered is the best (and only) option. It's really a no-brainer in my book. A class where the teacher is the focus is old fashioned (and that trend is not making a comeback anytime soon!). We as teachers are there precisely to make our students the focus of each class. We have to take advantage of every opportunity possible to have our students interact with each other. We are there to provide them with the tools to do so. After that, it's all them.
3. It's all about attitude. One of the hardest thing, at least in my case, is to leave whatever worries, problems or issues we may have outside the classroom. I think this is of vital importance because in the end, a teacher has to be motivating. That's why I believe that a teacher's attitude is so important. I mentioned earlier that students have certain attitudes towards learning that we need to understand. Well, what about us teachers? We're the example. We need to have a great attitude towards teaching no matter what, because whatever attitude we bring into class, our students will pick up on it. If we enter our classrooms defeated and bored, our students will reciprocate by barely speaking and yawning. If, on the other hand, our energy level is up and we show dynamism, that's what our students will try to mimic too!
To sum up, I think a teacher should always strive to be inspiring, helpful and memorable. If a student finishes the course and realizes how much he's learned, then our job was succesfully done.
t of challenges. I faced those challenges head on and they became learning experiences. Every feedback I've had has helped me understand in detail the methodology of teaching that is expected here. The teachers I've observed have been of tremendous help as well, discussing with me what best works for them and sharing their valuable experiences. Furthermore, the two ELT courses online I've taken have made me more confident in my own abilities and especially in my own knowledge of English language teaching. In the following lines I shall describe three aspects that define my teaching philosophy.1. Each student is unique. The first and maybe the most important thing I've learned in all the months I've worked here is that every class is different. Even if the course is the same, the people always change. Every student has specific goals, expectations and attitudes towards learning English, and as a teacher, I believe it is of great importance to analyze each student's needs to the best of our abilites. If we as teachers take the time to really understand our students' motivations, then we'll be able to tailor our instruction to get the best out of them.
2. Student-centered classes. I've been through my share of teacher-centered classes in the past, at school or in the university, and to some extent I understood why that approach was used. However, when it comes to language teaching, I believe that a student-centered is the best (and only) option. It's really a no-brainer in my book. A class where the teacher is the focus is old fashioned (and that trend is not making a comeback anytime soon!). We as teachers are there precisely to make our students the focus of each class. We have to take advantage of every opportunity possible to have our students interact with each other. We are there to provide them with the tools to do so. After that, it's all them.
3. It's all about attitude. One of the hardest thing, at least in my case, is to leave whatever worries, problems or issues we may have outside the classroom. I think this is of vital importance because in the end, a teacher has to be motivating. That's why I believe that a teacher's attitude is so important. I mentioned earlier that students have certain attitudes towards learning that we need to understand. Well, what about us teachers? We're the example. We need to have a great attitude towards teaching no matter what, because whatever attitude we bring into class, our students will pick up on it. If we enter our classrooms defeated and bored, our students will reciprocate by barely speaking and yawning. If, on the other hand, our energy level is up and we show dynamism, that's what our students will try to mimic too!
To sum up, I think a teacher should always strive to be inspiring, helpful and memorable. If a student finishes the course and realizes how much he's learned, then our job was succesfully done.
2 comentarios:
q ciclo enseñas ah?
Me gusta tu filosofía (: si es q la aplica es q eres un buen teacher, y eso d la motivación es cierta si tienes un profe aburrido no t da ganas d ir a clase... a veces hasta t da mas ganas d ir a clases x el profe! bueno a mí me ha pasado en el brit :D
creo q nos ha pasao a toos, para bien y para mal, jaja, nomas recordar a hugo salguero X_x digamos q no me emocionaba nada ir a su clase d civica xD
Publicar un comentario