Teaching

My philosophy in Teaching:

I believe a good teacher, first, has a powerful faith in the future. Like the forester planting an oak seedling knowing he will never see the tree in all its glory, I know I may never see the fruits of my labors as teacher. My calling is to plant and nurture seeds that will grow and shape tomorrow.

The good teacher must know his subjects and how to help students learn those subjects. I know the good teacher must have a deep appreciation of how knowledge is created in the discipline, how it is organized and how it is linked to other disciplines. I use my knowledge of the discipline to expose my students to modes of critical thinking, encouraging them to analyze, apply, synthesize, and evaluate all they read and hear. I love the subjects I teach, and I know how to make them come alive for my students. I am beginning to understand that the teacher’s greatest gift to the learner is helping the learner be motivated to think, and then to want to learn more. First, it is critical to create real world connections in the classroom while learning. If students do not believe they will use classroom material in their future, they see lessons as insignificant, pointless and not worth their time. In order to achieve one’s objectives, I must make the material relevant to the students.