Job Sterling’s Teaching Philosophy: ITeach
Goals for Student Learning
I am my first student. Before I can dispense knowledge, I must consume wisdom. Hence, I am a team player in a diverse learning community. Moreover, teaching and learning are very complex human activities. To engage in successful learning, the prospective student must practice self-regulation and self-control (Osipova et al., 2019). Hence, the primary goal of student learning is to overcome behavioral deficiencies by imparting values that develop impeccable character and stellar conduct. Mastery of subject matter content and the passing of examinations are of secondary and tertiary importance, respectively.
Teaching Methods
My template is the apprenticeship system. The classroom is my on-the-job training lab. My teaching method is elementary: “ITeach”. I, as an individual, am an intermediary serving as an information-exchange who uses internetworking to practice my trade: “Teach”. I teach by examples: exemplar teaching (Albrahim, 2020). Additionally, I try to understand my students' social context and provide them with rich information that is “racially engaging and culturally responsive” (Hackett, 2016, p. 99). For example, seven years ago, I taught fifty-five Nigerian students, Mathematics and Information Technology in Tobago. I ensured that I pronounced their names correctly, and in my class discussions, I used examples from Nigeria profusely.
Measurement of Student Learning
Measurement of learning should focus on improvement in conduct, development of character, and display of sound judgment. Hence, grades cannot measure learning or intelligence (Schwab et al., 2018). Fifty-five years ago, the “evidence strongly suggested that college grades bear little or no relationship to any measures of adult accomplishment” (Hoyt, 1965, p. 3). Grades measure adherence to education standards and rubrics. Hence, my use of exams (midterm and final), case studies, final projects, discussion forums, labs, scenarios, role-playing, presentations, etc. are all accompanied by appropriate rubrics because they provide for a seamless, fair, transparent, and valid teaching process. Additionally, it gives a right of appeal by any aggrieved student to have a fair hearing through a disciplined arbitration process. Everything has a purpose.
Inclusivity in the Learning Environment
I respect the privacy and expressed wishes of my tutees. If they do not wish to participate, I do not force participation. I create an environment that engenders trust among the participants and the need for them to truthfully value each other rather than looking to me as the sole provider of guidance and direction. By focusing on truth, I can transcend barriers of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and underrepresentation. Therefore, the truth becomes the lens through which my students and I evaluate everything (Friesem, 2019). This approach eliminates the desire and need to hold differing perspectives, encourages inclusivity, and develops critical thinking skills through self-reflection.
Conclusion
“The more I teach, the more I learn” (Hooks, 2010, p. 181). Teaching is an ancient prophetic practice with the solitary goal of unearthing truth. Hence, teaching methods and strategies need to be in alignment with this goal. Finally, both the tutor and tutee will only learn by doing and practicing truth.
References
Albrahim, F. A. (2020). Online teaching skills and competencies. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 19(1), 9-20. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1239983
Friesem, Y. (2019). Teaching truth, lies, and accuracy in the digital age: Media Literacy as project-based learning. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 74(2), 185-198. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077695819829962
Hackett, C. D. (2016). Kufundisha: An innovative teaching approach for student engagement and experiential learning. Journal of Pan African Studies, 9(8), 84–101. https://www.academia.edu/29600596/Kufundisha_An_Innovative_Teaching_Approach_for_Student_Engagement_and_Experiential_Learning
Hooks, Bell. (2010) Teaching critical thinking: Practical wisdom. New York, Routledge.
Hoyt, D. P. (1965). College grades and adult achievement: A review of the literature. 1-62. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED023343
Osipova, А. А., Boguslavskaya, V. F., & Miroshnichenko, A. V. (2019). The problem of the existence of notional barriers in teaching students. In Culture and Education: Social Transformations and Multicultural Communication (pp. 228-233). https://doi.org/10.22363/09669-2019-228-233
Schwab, K., Moseley, B., & Dustin, D. (2018). Grading grades as a measure of student learning. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, 33(2), 87-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/1937156X.2018.1513276