Eunhee Kim
May 12, 2009
Philosophy Statement
“Teachers who inspire know that teaching is like cultivating a garden, and those who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers.”
~Author Unknown~
As I have reflected on my own personal teaching philosophy, I have found the inspiration for my beliefs to stem from my experiences as a young student. When I was eight years old, I was an exceptionally shy and introverted child. Many teachers and other students overlooked me and I felt like an outsider. As I entered second grade, my life began to change because I entered Mrs. Guan’s class. She took an interest in me; not that she singled me out, but quietly influenced the other students to include me. The students loved her for her kindness and respect. In Korea, teachers are treated very honorably and students must speak to them with honorific language. Although she maintained the control and respect necessary, Mrs. Guan never spoke down to us. Because of her example, I have a desire to teach like her and be a teacher who is proficient in my subject, skilled in the art of teaching, and adept at promoting good student-teacher relationships.
In my opinion, I must be an expert in my field. Part of being an expert is to be continually learning and researching. Without this progression, I may become disinterested and might also be wasting the students’ time with out-dated information. Students are aware of whether or not the teacher is knowledgeable in the subject and will treat them with the respect they feel they deserve. Being competent in the subject will also allow me to feel confident in my teaching.
Next a good teacher must be good at the art of teaching. I think the art of teaching includes creativity, innovation, being well-prepared, using current resources, enthusiasm, encouragement, and being motivating and inspiring. A great teacher keeps the students’ interest by bringing new material and new methods to each class. This will cause students to look forward to the lessons, and they will be engaged and actively participating during the lessons which will enhance their learning. By always doing something new, I can keep the students on their toes. Providing hand-tailored activities is a lot of work and requires a lot of preparation time, but the pay off is worth it because the student will know they special and important to the teacher.
Finally, my personal teaching philosophy includes promoting and maintaining respectful student-teacher relationships. I would hope to be a teacher who is respectful, approachable, considerate, happy, and who makes the students feel comfortable. I have observed teachers who really stop and listen to what the students are saying. On the other hand, I have seen teachers who treat the students as an annoyance. Even something as simple as using polite language such as please and thank you can really make a difference.
I would hope a student would never be afraid to come to me with a problem or question.
A teacher shows consideration by seeing each student as an individual and trying to acknowledge and be aware of each of them. Always remember that the class will reflect back the teacher’s attitude. Because of this, a teacher should try to show happiness and help the students feel comfortable.
I realize that these are lofty ideals which are difficult to implement, but I believe a teacher should always be striving for the best. In conclusion, my viewpoint is that when a teacher uses the methods described above, their influence and teaching will be the most effective because there will be mutual respect, each student will feel important, and learning conditions will be maximized. Student will be like fertile soil for the teacher to cultivate.
