My Teaching Philosophy
As someone who didn’t get the chance to learn about their favorite subject, marine
science, in elementary and middle school, as a teacher, I want to expand the opportunities
available for my students in the classroom. As a future science teacher, I believe that it’s
important to showcase a variety of fields within science because you never know what might
pique someone’s interests. I don’t want my students to feel incompetent or left out because they
were not introduced to what they plan to do in the future at a young age. I plan to speak
personally with each and every one of my students to find out what they’re curious about and to
assess how I can help them succeed in the classroom.
My field experiences throughout UTeach have shown me the importance of incorporating student interests and personal experiences into our lessons, as it increases student engagement and a sense of belonging in the classroom. I hope to create fun and interactive learning activities for my students in a safe space where they can feel comfortable asking questions and sharing their ideas. When I was a little 3rd or 4th grader, I learned the best with hands-on activities that we did as a class or in groups. I believe that my students would benefit from that as well, keeping them engaged and excited to learn. There were also some classes I had where I didn’t feel comfortable to speak up or ask questions because of the social environment I was in with my peers — No one else is asking questions, so why should I? Learning can be challenging with all of the external factors that affect a student, so I want to encourage my students to ask questions, rely on one another, and challenge themselves.
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Lastly, I have recently become passionate about incorporating making into the classroom and inspiring my students to be creative and innovative. At its core, maker education encourages students to ask questions and embrace their mistakes. Everyone is a maker in some way, and as an educator, I believe it’s important to foster this creativity and experimentation in the classroom. Students don’t know what they’re capable of until they’re given the opportunity to try it, and I’m sure most of them will surprise themselves. Making can be incorporated into the classroom in so many different ways, bringing learning outside of the traditional textbooks and lectures. Students can create meaningful experiences with the projects that they create, and it’s a powerful form of learning.
As a teacher, I hope to use my past learning experiences and field experiences to create a
safe, welcoming environment for my students where they feel comfortable and excited to learn. I hope to learn about their life experiences and reflect on their personal backgrounds in the work we do as a class. Science is such a fun topic to learn about, and I want the students to feel
connected with the material by focusing on their interests and making them feel like they belong.