My teaching philosophy is always centered around making learning and teaching meaningful and accessible for all language learners. A classroom where creativity and curiosity are encouraged through high-impact instruction. A classroom that embraces everyone as a teacher and indicates that everyone has a place in learning. I hope to keep moving beyond “the way we have always done it” to innovate new ways for a better future in education. Learning is sparked not by providing answers but through innovative challenges that empower students to take ownership of their thinking. Learning a second language is described as one of the most complex skills. Helping English language learners acquire strategies suitable to their needs builds their identity to integrate successfully into their new community. As I continue in education, I keep these core principles in mind, innovation, adaptability, and flexibility.

Innovation centers around the use of technology. I have taught at schools that provided each classroom with a promethean board, a computer lab, and digital tools to schools with constraints such as only having a television and computer for teachers to have access to and students using the traditional workbook and pencil. Students born after the early 2000s are called digital natives, which means they have spent more time in their lives in the digital world (Gillis, 2020). It would be irresponsible for educators to solely consider traditional methods as the only form in learning. The future classroom holds digital natives and it is our responsibility as educators to reinvent how we view and use technology. The biggest change I am making is taking the step to utilize AI in my classroom. It is still a learning curve and as I continue my research, I hope to uncover new strategies in assisting English learners where we find a common ground in ethics and creativity. With this, students will gain new digital literacy skills. 

Adaptability requires breaking free from “the way we have always done it” and being open to change. I have had the opportunity to work in diverse settings abroad and the United States. Each setting has been a reminder that I have to remain open to different teaching approaches and methods. Collaboration is very important and serves as a great resource.

And finally, flexibility. While I use group work, this is an area I could improve in terms of promoting learner responsibility and autonomy while also being active in cooperative learning. Gradually releasing and giving students more freedom where they learn to trust themselves helps with autonomy and highlights where their passion lies. It is also important to be flexible in different cultural settings and I think of my Romanian mentor words each time, it is not impossible, just difficult. Sometimes implementing real change takes time and it is difficult. This requires me to be flexible especially with the concept around critical thinking. I have to expand my thoughts on how learners not only learn English but also how they acquire it through their cultural setting. With these principles at the forefront, they serve as a guide to my practice.