I think I started dreaming about becoming a teacher ever since the time I used to sit next to my father, side-by-side, watching him make attractive-looking exam schedules and teachers' time tables using his long metal ruler and his colored markers & pencils for the college he worked in for over 30 years. I also remember his endless stories about how some of the other instructors were making life miserable for their students and how he was always trying to help students, whether they were his or not, in any possible way.
I listened to these stories passively as a young child because they meant nothing to me. What I did not know, however, is the fact that he was unconsciously planting small seeds of wisdom, and instilling in me compassion for all human beings, including students. Thus, I grew up with teaching college students as a positive constant in my life and I thank my father for letting me watch him because my whole philosophy of teaching relies on being extremely organized as a teacher. More importantly, as a result of my flourished compassion for all, every student is respected, valued and assisted whenever the need arises. I want my students to realize my high level of commitment to the class so that I have the courage to ask a similar level of commitment from them.
I believe that is it is my personal responsibility to organize and prepare each lecture, to be punctual, and to return graded work to students quickly. It is also my responsibility to be engaged in the material I teach and to be as knowledgeable about the text and context as possible. Another important thing is that expectations are clearly stated at the beginning of the semester. For example, the first time I enter any class, I verbally explain to my students what I expect of them regarding such things as their attendance, semester projects, exams, on-line work, etc. I then pull out a syllabus which I've designed for the whole semester and post it on their wall. Upon this, I hear small "shocked" murmurs running through the whole class and they know, right there and then, that I mean business - I get the same reaction every time. Students are very smart; they can tell from that first meeting that I am serious about my course and they understand, without me saying a single word, that seriousness is what I expect of them. I try to stick to the goals I have spelled out in the course syllabus, but I know how to be flexible and to adapt my teaching whenever necessary.
I recognize that students come to college from a variety of backgrounds. They also come with varying levels of preparation. Though I acknowledge and respect my students’ differences, I also hold each student to a uniform standard of excellence in keeping with the mission of my department. I also try to be fair and consistent. For example, the majority of my exams are objective and when having an objective exam is not possible, as in writing courses, then I make it a point to construct an answer key which is based on analytic scoring in order to ensure fairness and objectivity in scoring. Consistency is also important. I expect my students to be in class every day on time as I usually take attendance after 10-15 minutes after the start of the lecture. This has been my policy for ten years and it has worked really well for me. Finally, I make myself available outside the classroom by encouraging students to come during my office hours. I stress to them that I have a willingness to listen and answer any question.
I'm constantly learning new things and each semester I try to find new ways of becoming even more organized and efficient. My relationship with my students is based on two very important things: honesty and respect. From the beginning of each course, I strive to create a comfortable atmosphere in my classroom so that all of my students feel comfortable participating in class. I believe that students are most successful when each student is equally and unconditionally valued respected, supported and motivated regardless of ability or performance in the classroom. I also strongly believe that familiarity with my students is crucial to the development of a good rapport with them. Although I usually have a large number of students in each class, I make a great effort to know their names. I also try to always praise my students for having something to say. I have also found that a little humor, and a willingness to laugh at myself and with the students goes a very long way.
As a teacher, I am aware that students' willingness and interest depends upon my keeping a comfortable classroom environment. I believe it is important for the teacher to be committed to giving the type of feedback that will encourage improvement and growth. It is important to be optimistic and positive and to help the student understand how learning is a process, and that mistakes (and sometimes failure) are a part of it. A focal point in my philosophy of teaching is to create a stimulating yet non-competitive and non-intimidating environment in the classroom. For example, students are verbally praised for correct responses or encouraging feedback is also given in the form of notes on their assignments. As for students having difficulties, they are helped, and encouraged to do better. I feel that the understanding I bring to the classroom helps to create an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. I firmly believe that it is only this kind of environment which enables students to use their newly acquired language skills with as little hesitation as possible.
As my audience, I want students to see my enthusiasm for and dedication to my field. I would like them to know that my job is to help them learn, but that I also enjoy learning from them. If students see an instructor who demonstrates a passion for the subject s/he is teaching, inevitably they will be affected by this energy. I want my students to look forward to coming to class, and I take very seriously my obligation in making the lesson worth their time as I try to get them to see the value in everything that I expect of them. Extra effort is made to gain and keep their interest. For example, for the Comparative Culture course which I'm currently teaching, I attempt to motivate my students by making the material relevant to their lives, and by bringing in authentic examples of the English language used in, e.g., American magazine advertisements. Through this process, I hope they will encounter, consider, and learn to respect new and different points of view and to form responsible judgments and opinions because a true understanding of the English language can only come from knowledge of all aspects of English-speaking cultures.
Innovations in technology have been extremely useful and important for language teaching. While technology could never replace the classroom teacher, it is a marvelous tool which I use to bring language and culture closer to my students since I believe that it is part of my responsibility as a teacher to teach them how they can use technology to their advantage. For example, my students are required to access the Internet for some of their course work and projects. The idea is that they engage in an activity that will enhance and complement their language study. I believe that teaching in itself is a learning experience and that a good teacher should strive for excellence by staying current her field, engaging in related research, and attending conferences and workshops. A teacher should be open to new techniques and methods and still have confidence and faith in what s/he already knows. One should strive to constantly grow and build both subject knowledge and pedagogical skills.
As a teacher, I know that I need to be able to choose widely among the multitude of options at hand – as they are presented in professional literature. I need to know why we make these choices and we need to be flexible and open to implement new ideas into our teaching at the same time. For the future, I will continue to challenge myself to reinvent my classes periodically by implementing new strategies and approaches. For example, in one of my MA courses, Educational Linguistics, I was introduced to the Lexical Approach which made a huge impact on my entire view of teaching and learning. I was so stimulated by this new approach that I felt the need to try it out, even if by only adopting a few of its concepts, in my own classroom, so I did. I learned many things from this experience; the most important thing being is that one will only improve if one takes the risk. I took the risk, and as a consequence, I know now how I can adapt this new approach to better suit my students' needs.
Those who teach must never believe that they have finally become experts in their respective fields. Instead, they should be humbled by the volume of knowledge that they have discovered they do not yet know. Having been required to do so much research in the course of my MA studies, I can honestly say that I'm utterly humbled being exposed to so many texts, a drop in the ocean of which I have had the privilege of reading and so much more that I will, unfortunately, never have the fortune of experiencing. To me, a large part of teaching is figuring out how people learn. I am passionate about education because I am a constant learner myself. Finally, though my goal is to do anything within my power to facilitate learning, I believe that students are ultimately responsible for their own education, and I make it clear to my students that they must study hard if they really want to achieve personal satisfaction. This is what I personally have, and still, experience as a learner and I always try to convince my students that the satisfaction one feels from doing their very best in any course is like no other feeing in the world.
“Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much are the three pillars of learning.”
Benjamin Disraeli 19th Century British Statesman
I am on a long journey with my students, and I am always reminded that I have as much to learn from them as they do from me.