As an effective teacher I am constantly striving to improve my abilities by networking with colleges, attending seminars and, implementing new techniques. The following is my current position on education.
My Education Philosophy
I evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching techniques by the way students feel when they leave my classroom. In my opinion, the most important gift we can give our students is a belief in themselves and a feeling of self worth. Placing value only on marks can lead to despair and powerlessness. I believe that these feelings put students at risk for long-term failure. It is my goal to empower all of my students and to encourage them to take ownership and pride in their educational careers.
I believe helping students feel invested in their community will help them feel empowered in their own education. I know that I am successful in my teaching when I see students gleam with pride and self-confidence.
From my past educational experiences, I know that when students do not fear humiliation for their mistakes it creates a safe, risk free environment that promotes co-operation instead of competition. It is in this kind of environment that inspired learning occurs. It is my philosophy that successful teaching requires a balance of curriculum based objectives and an environment that facilitates student based learning.