Carolina Bailey
Teaching Philosophy
My approach to teaching has been shaped by my training and research in Second Language Acquisition and Linguistics, by my professional experiences teaching Spanish, French, English, and Linguistics, and by my experiences as a language learner. I believe that an educator needs to help students to understand different worldviews by appreciating the fact that we are members of a global society. My goals for teaching are to motivate students to want to learn and to develop effective and supportive learning communities.
Demonstrating real-world value of learning languages and linguistics: I provide real world examples from experiences in personal enrichment and professional value. For example, students look in different websites for opportunities where their careers or interests require the use of a foreign language or knowledge in linguistics. I had a student that was very excited to understand her speech pathology class thanks to my linguistics class; or a nurse student who was happy to use the Spanish vocabulary learnt in class at the hospital.
Engaging students using activities and providing cultural awareness: Embedding language learning into a cultural context prepares students for our multicultural, interconnected world because they are citizens of a global society. For example, students write to their “pen-pal” friends about music, films, etc. For this, I contact professors from universities abroad and we exchange our students’ e-mails.
Exhibiting teacher support and fostering student support: Being accessible and flexible as well as providing students with tools for their learning process are essential to creating an effective and supportive learning community. When students make a mistake, I praised them for their efforts. This encourages them to take risks and to be confident in their learning process. I thrive to create a classroom community where students feel supported and where their differences and interests are valued and welcome.
Correcting mistakes cannot interfere with learning and communication: Making a class more enjoyable allows students to be less afraid of speaking and making mistakes. Corrective feedback is important but doing it regularly may discourage students from participating. I correct errors by recasting and asking for clarifications, or by providing direct feedback when appropriate.
Accounting for different learning styles: Accounting for students’ different learning styles is essential for effective learning. For example, for visual learners I use You Tube, for auditory learners I use songs, and for kinesthetic learners I use charades. In class, students see that they have numerous opportunities to practice what they know as they progress towards mastery.
Testing in order to show progress: I consider the purpose of quizzes, tests, and interviews to be showing students’ progress. These forms of evaluations need to be conducive to learning as well. Students see that I evaluate them on subjects taught in class, and that I am open to their feedback on tests and how they feel doing them. As possible, I turn to my peers for feedback to ensure that these evaluations are clear and valid.
I love to teach. I really enjoy being a learning facilitator and seeing students’ progress. I am proud of my students, and I am also proud to say that my teaching is in constant development. I take into account ongoing research and I also welcome peers’ and students’ feedback that will help me to improve my teaching style and to maximize students’ learning experience.