TEACHING STATEMENT
The key to effective teaching is to realize that the student in your class is a whole person. Their academic journey will be affected a myriad of elements outside of the classroom that they will, nevertheless, bring through the door with them when they come for their lessons. The only way to address this is by cultivating a strong interpersonal relationship with students built on trust and mutual respect. Getting to know students as individuals allows teachers to anticipate emotional and social issues that may impact the academic performance of the student. Students who are comfortable and know that they are safe in a classroom have a better capacity for learning. Addressing the student as a whole person allows teachers to foster the non-academic sides of students as well, showing students what compassion and empathy look like. It teaches them how to behave towards others in social situations and within a community. This knowledge is invaluable to young people who are struggling to identify exactly where in the larger world they belong.
My goal as an educator is to teach in a manner that is a more authentic representation of how the world works. I approach teaching in an interdisciplinary fashion, since the world is rarely compartmentalized and siloed. As a Humanities and English Language Arts teacher, I have woven together a curriculum that builds on what is taught in all areas. In a single unit, history lessons provide context for poetry selections and historical fiction pieces studied in literature class. Mastery of content is demonstrated through everything from analytical essays about novels in book club or epistolary creative writing pieces analyzing what life was like for an average person in a historical time period.
I am also mindful that the nature of text and history is constantly changing. Rather than eschewing contemporary works in favor of the celebrated classics, I believe it is important to explore new writers who might better illustrate the world in which my students live. Many times, however, connections may be drawn from newer works to more established and studied ones encouraging further exploration. I also believe that what we refer to as “texts” are changing and that students need to be able to “read” images and videos in much the same way, as our world is growing to be more dynamic and multimodal. Likewise, history should be about looking at what was previously accepted, what is currently being challenged, and by examining the primary source records all for the sake of students drawing their own conclusions through critical thinking.
Education is first and foremost about exploration and analysis.
My students are expected to be able to craft organized and grammatically correct papers. Writing is taught as a process that everyone approaches at their own speed and with their own abilities. Once I learn who my students are as writers, I can address their individual needs directly. Ultimately, through the workshop format, students learn not only to write well, but independently. They leave being able to self-assess their output, a skill that will follow them in life as they craft everything from emails to narratives.
Students should be able to read, analyze, and make connections across both texts and genres. I do not measure comprehension by rote recollection, but rather how well they can interpret what they read critically. I assess the progress of my students through their ability to speak and write about the texts that are being studied. I think the Socratic seminar is an extremely powerful tool for facilitating discussion; students who can speak in this setting exhibit strong critical thinking skills and higher thought processes.
History should not be about memorizing dates and facts. While a general understanding of chronological time is important, a student’s success is measured by how well they can link the cause and effects of various time periods with ones that followed. It is important for students to understand how these historical moments impacted the lives of the average person. Studying history through a lens of multiple disciplines allows students to make connections between a time period and the art, music, and literature that was being created. These connections and analysis help encourage students to look at history in a new and lively way. History allows another avenue for me to assess my students’ progress through writing.
My philosophy on teaching starts with concern for a student’s whole self; emotional, social, and academic. I believe this can be achieved through positive, respectful relationships built on trust; once this foundation is established, then a student may excel. A student in my classroom can expect to be taught in a way that links my disciplines; mimicking the interconnectedness that is apparent in the non academic world. They will be assessed on how well they can analyze, make connections, and communicate their ideas through verbal and written expression. My goal is to help students grow into confident, empathic, and culturally literate young people.