Advanced English VI
Prof. Pablo E. Acosta Acosta
Karen Dayana Ocampo Sandoval
Responding to the Reading Teaching Philosophy
April 26, 2012
Philosophy of teaching
For my teaching and learning are two process with a highest importance, which
are in constant relationship that can not be away from each other, because
they are part of a single environment, teaching and learning are involved in
schools, universities, streets, in daily life, both go together to generate active
and purposeful education.
Teaching is not only to pass on specific knowledge or information about a
particular issue, it also is instruct through experiences, feelings and through the
continual interaction with the class; learning also occurs in the same way, it is to
say, to learn from daily activities, thoughts, interests and so on. In this way to
teach and to learn become a single one, it does not occur one of them without
generating the other one.
My teaching philosophy comes from my experience as a student and teacher of
Modern languages. To me, it is a collection of fun and learning at the same
time, including continual interaction between the student and the teacher; now it
is easy to say that, because now I have not a lot of experience but at least I
have some, before starting to teach; most of the time I was asking me about
how could be a good teacher? or how could I teach?, I was afraid of managing
kids; so at that moment I was interested in looking my teachers at the university,
to think what strategies I could use for my classes; although some strategies let
me reflect about the process of Learning-Teaching, to be in a real classroom
with kids was really different what I had been thinking. That is why I consider:
Every child is special: Kids have many different desires, curiosities, many of
them are not interesting in learning a foreign language, and the only one thing
that they think is play all the time; to use their expectations and their desires to
play, for teaching it is a good way to encourage them to participate in the class;
for instance, If one kid likes the movie called “Cars” , It is the opportunity to
teach some vocabulary related to the movie but at the same time relate to the
class “toys” , in this way the child is learning because he is concerned in the
topic.
The target language should be used anywhere: With the children’s’ desires,
they are going to use the language outside of the classroom, I mean If the class
was interesting to them, they are going to search new spaces like their homes,
their schools to continue with the learning, maybe they won’t do this in a rational
way, but anyways they are doing use of the new language.
Class’ interaction: When I refer to class’ interaction, I am talking about the
relationship between teachers and children; not only the teacher has the
capacity to teach, the student also this capacity, The student should be a active
agent within the class, he can also take the role of the teacher and to teach to
the rest of the class, In my opinion It should a constant, not always with the
same child but with the others too.
Class’ motivation: Teacher should motivate their students not only with
academicals grades, but also with special incentives like a cheers, congratulate
them, giving them little presents, and one of the most significant, making them
feel important; these things will be students more comfortable, dynamic and
enthusiastic in class.
Everybody can teach, everybody can learn: We all have skills, some of them
related to sports, crafts, languages, etc; and we all can learn and teach from
them, teachers have much knowledge but students also have, maybe not in the
same way, I mean; maybe this Knowledge is not received in a formal institution
like school or universities, maybe this knowledge comes from the experience,
memories, feelings, fears, anxieties, etc. that educate and I some way form and
train a person.
Interact with the environment: This refers to the use of all the strategies,
methods that can help with Learning-Teaching, for instance To employ
flashcards, toys, body language, games, the voice, role-plays, the nature,
technology, to teach or to learn something; not always the class must be based
on the use of a workbook or a recording.
This is the way I see my Philosophy of teaching, not as an expert person, but as
a person in continuous learning, who believe in the education as a way to
change, maybe not the whole world, but our immediate societies, our families,
our towns, our cities, etc, This my teaching philosophy, I believe in it, I want to
live in it and I want to share with all interested in a proactive education, which
transform realities.