Teaching+Philosophy

=**Teaching Philosophy**=

The job of any good teacher is to be a mapmaker. We guide students from point to point, providing direction like a compass that enables them to decide their own path to get where they are going. The knowledge we provide helps them become critical thinkers. Ultimately, I want to provide the knowledge and skills that will empower my students to direct their own lives on a healthy and prosperous journey.

My goals in teaching the sciences are to inform students of the processes of life, and concepts that connect all of the sciences. It is the never-ending questions about life that keep our younger generations interested. Once the students are given the opportunity to understand different concepts, we can then teach them how to relate those ideas to their own lives, and the world around them. I hope to help students decide what is important to them by making them aware of the fundamental principles that drive human life. Hopefully the knowledge they gain will help them to better understand the world we live in and what they can do to improve it in their own way.

In order to accomplish these goals, I want to create both an interesting and enjoyable learning environment; one where I can teach the information yet make it so that the students want to learn. I want to engage learners of different cultures and learning styles, so that everyone is equal in the learning environment creating a dialogue within the classroom. My intent would be to present an idea, allow for reflection, and then have the students use that knowledge in praxis. In order to measure what has been accomplished, I would have weekly assessments in the form of quizzes. Each quiz would cover the main ideas of the week presented in lecture, discussion and activities. We could then have a group discussion based on the student’s answers. This would not only give them further opportunity to reinforce the ideas learned and see their progress, but also provide me with feedback to the areas I need to work on. This would give them the chance to use their critical thinking and readjust their ideas. The ideal concept behind this is to get the students to understand the concepts and do the thinking for themselves. I would just be the medium, there to direct them through the material. The grading system I would use would still be the standard scale.

Through being a teacher I would consider my self a life long student. For me there will always be questions unanswered, and new ideas arising. An important part of my life is to always be challenged. Throughout my education I have loved the sciences and found them intriguing. Being a student of Illinois State University, I find that the curriculum helped me to not only understand the science world more, but also helped me to see life through a teachers eyes. I always plan to continue my education, not only to improve my knowledge, but also to improve instruction for my students.

Overall I want to guide my students to be able to learn the universal ideas of science and then apply them in their own lives. Also, an important part of the learning process is to have fun while they are doing it and get involved. I want to build strong critical thinkers that can help improve their own lives and the world we live in through praxis.