Here are my reflections on my teaching philosophy, in case you were interested.
Realizing the Democratic Ideal lays out ten moral and intellectual virtues that all educators should possess. Taking a self reflective view of these virtues, I was able to pin point some that I was not confident in having achieved. I believe my areas of challenge are sensitivity to diversity, understanding of what effects learning and having a deep knowledge of my content area. One virtue that I feel I have not developed yet is sensitivity toward the varieties of individual and cultural diversity. If I took this virtue at surface value, then I would feel that I am developed in it. I am aware of most varieties of diversity and am certainly respectful of people’s cultural differences. However, I see this virtue applied in the classroom. Teaching a predominately white middle class curriculum, are you able to be sensitive to the students who might not be reached through that curriculum? In this situation I can recognize that I am lacking in this virtue. To solve this, I think I need more experience in the schools. To be a teacher capable of handling students of all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds, I especially need experience in diverse schools. My time at Illinois State University will most definitely prepare me to work in diverse settings. The education requirements of completing 50 hours of observations in a diverse school will benefit me. Peoria is close to home for me, so I will observe in Peoria schools, where the population is much more varied than my former high school.
Another area of teaching that I feel I am not qualified yet in is having an understanding of what affects learning and appropriate teaching strategies. As a teacher I need to be aware of the different ways student’s learn and what will work best with them. Recently, I heard a professor say that we need to learn to teach others who are not like us. That can translate into many forms, but I take that statement to mean that how you as the teacher learn will be different from how your students learn. As a teacher, you need to be accommodating for other types of learning other than your own. I feel less confident in knowing what affects a student’s learning and also strategies to help a student if they are not grasping the material. Courses that I am currently taking and will take in the future will offer me the knowledge that I need in this area. Tutoring can also help me with this challenge. By working closely with a student, I could infer what kind of learner he/she is and compare that to my own type of learning. Making this connection will help me to become a successful teacher of different learners.
Finally, one area that I again am lacking in is a wide general knowledge and deep knowledge of the content that I will teach. Thus far in my college career I have had several courses in English, which is what I will eventually teach. The courses I have taken have been introductory. To be able to teach students I will need to know a great deal about my subject area. As I take more classes in college, I will choose courses in English that I know I am not as familiar with. This will enhance my knowledge of English. I also have not gotten a good grasp yet of how to teach English. Being a student in an English class teaches me how to be a student, but now I need to transition and put myself in the teacher’s role. Now as I take more English courses at Illinois State University I will notice exactly how the teacher/professor is running the class.
No teacher is perfect, but those who love what they do strive to be more effective and better able to connect with their students each day. The virtues as mentioned in Realizing the Democratic Ideal are set as a foundation and a guide for teachers and aspiring teachers to better themselves. As I work toward my goal of becoming an educator, I need to work upon the areas of challenge within those virtues: sensitivity toward individual and cultural diversity, having an understanding of what effects learning and learning strategies and possessing a deep general knowledge of my content area. Developing these virtues while at ISU will prepare me for the responsibility of managing and teaching a classroom full of students.
