Teaching Philosophy

Among the many benefits of being a professional educator, I take joy in preparing my students to be

active citizens to the world. It is my belief that students truly want to do well, they are just looking for

someone to show them how to do it. Similarly, I believe that they want to succeed in their academics, but

sometimes lack the necessary skills to do so. Though they may act aloof or make choices to the contrary at

times, their truest desire is to excel and do well for those around them. Preparing my students to succeed and

work well in society is not only a social goal for my students, but also a goal related to my discipline.

As a world language educator I have the opportunity to expose students to diverse cultures, people

groups, and linguistic concepts to which they might not have otherwise ever been exposed, all the meanwhile

helping students to increase their proficiency in another language. As the British author Samuel Johnson said,

“Language is the dress of thought,” I believe that language helps them see the world from a view point other

than their own. This in turn leads them to be more accepting of others, willing to appreciate beliefs different

than their own, and ultimately more prepared for global citizenship. So then, the linguistic development and

cultural awareness of my students will lead to better preparedness.

With those ultimate goals in mind, units in my classroom are designed using frequent, contextualized,

and structured use of the target language developed around communicative objectives. Typically students are

introduced to new forms of the language and culture through various input activities that focus on scaffolding

student understanding from what they already know. Though, the language students hear and see from me is

not the extent of their language input. Through interaction with other students, native speakers, and target

language materials such as websites, literature, and other media, students connect their worldview with those

of the target culture and language. Technology use plays an integral role in acclimating students to other

cultures, the assessment of their ongoing proficiency progression, and building student technology

proficiency. Assessment of understanding and proficiency occurs on an on-going basis through informal,

formative, and summative assessments. My students give input to the types of things they would like to be

held accountable for and actively participate in their own academic assessment through peer-editing

assignments, portfolio tracking, and unit-end self-evaluations.

A day in my classroom is a day in which students can be seen practicing the necessary skills to function

in society and doing good quality work, all while using the target language. As much as possible, my students

communicate their needs, wants, and desires in the target language and build their proficiency on a daily

basis. They know how to communicate in the target language, even when they are having trouble

understanding or being understood. Since my class is planned around students’ interests, motivation is high

and students often work in groups. They learn through my varied instruction (manipulatives, videos, songs,

TPR [Total Physical Response], etc.) and through opportunities to try, without penalty, if something is

incorrect. My students take responsibility for their personal learning through understanding their learning

styles, by searching for meaning, and by working cooperatively in groups as they would in the real world.

I truly feel that world languages bring our students the opportunity to be prepared to work in the

global marketplace and act as responsible global citizens through the understanding of others’ and their

languages. In no other subject does such a blend of social and academic goals meet. It is my goal to develop

such responsible, prepared students.