Teaching Philosophy

My desire to be a teacher lies in the aspiration to create an interactive learning environment in which students are given tools for exploration and self-discovery while gaining skills for a lifetime. By encouraging my students to open up to new concepts, think critically, and share with others their own ideas, I hope to pass on to them the beauty and power of discovery and learning that I am still touched by to this day.

Proficient communicators understand the importance of codeswitching and writing meaningfully depending on their audience and purpose. I find it of extreme importance to have students discover new concepts and ideas through all modes of communication including body language, spoken word, written word, and technological interfacing. Whether it be through dialogue, authentic written assignments, or online discussion boards and chat rooms, students will gain the skills needed to use language as a tool of empowerment and will take these skills with them for the rest of their lives.

With past experience in the performing arts, I have come to develop a deep appreciation for the value of incorporating music and performance into one’s daily life. The effects of performance and song are long-lasting. I have found that students who have hands-on performance experiences with plays, novels, poetry, or film end up with a much deeper appreciation and understanding than those who do not. Through the many facets of performance study, students have the unique opportunity to learn character motives, themes, historical context, language structure, directing, acting, producing, and so much more, in a way unmatched by any other teaching method. I am firmly committed to incorporating music and performance into my teaching in the desire to bring language and meaning directly into the hands, minds and hearts of my students.

 Differentiated learning provides meaningful experiences for all students in the hope that each can be challenged to grow at their own pace to reach their full potential. By implementing literature circles and encouraging the open sharing of ideas, students will be engaged and take the power of learning into their own hands. Differentiated learning is such a positive experience because students are not ever locked into a certain level but are encouraged to higher levels of thinking, learning, and growing. This is one of our ultimate goals as educators.

I am confident that my honesty as an individual coupled with my overall enthusiasm for the subject of English will prove to be a significant asset in the lives of my future students. I am inspired by what I have learned in the past, and I look forward to the many meaningful experiences that I will have in the future.