PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHING STATEMENT

“There’s no such thing as neutral education. Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or freedom.”

-Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

My philosophy of teaching and learning is not that knowledge is transmitted from teacher to student but rather is grounded in the notion that multiple interactions exist between the students and the learning environment. These interactions help build students’ knowledge, develop their skills, and help shape their dispositions around what it means to be a professional PK-12 educator. My philosophy is based on a constructivist approach, in which students construct learning and understanding through meaningful activities and teacher facilitation. I challenge students to think critically about content by questioning and providing opportunities to build their knowledge and prepare for future classrooms. While I primarily engage the constructivist theory, I often utilize some behaviorist methods of instruction to strike a balance in instructional practices and to ensure candidates have a strong foundation and can transfer their understanding to practical contexts. I wholeheartedly envision teaching as an opportunity for students to process and construct their understanding of concepts through communicating, problem-solving, and connecting these ideas to their prior knowledge, lived experiences, and the most current research-based best practices in the field. 

My teaching philosophy is grounded in the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT). Over the last two decades, scholars have critically examined CRT, its principles, and how it influences K-12 education policy and practice. Specifically, scholars have long-studied school climate, educational opportunities, student representation, and pedagogy (Ledesma & Calderón, 2015). In my practice, I intentionally engage students in critical discourse and activities that allow them to examine practical aspects of teaching. More importantly, however, I provide opportunities for candidates to think critically about issues of systemic racism and other oppressive practices impacting the students they will soon teach.

Likewise, my philosophy is grounded in teaching social justice (Darling-Hammond, 2017). Broadly, social justice in education refers to a deep commitment to challenging cultural, economic, and social inequalities levied against individuals from any differential distribution of power, resources, and privilege. In education, it is crucial for teacher education students to begin thinking critically about how they can address these issues in their classrooms (Darling-Hammond & Oakes, 2021). Classrooms should be spaces where students learn, grow, and experience the world differently. Through those experiences, seeds of leaders and change agents are planted. Teacher education programs serve as spaces not only to grow future teachers but also to foster spaces in which those future teachers develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create students who fight for a more just and equitable world.

In the classroom, this practice can take many forms. For example, when students submit sample lesson plans, they evaluate their documents to ensure they employ culturally relevant and sustaining practices. Likewise, at the beginning of the semester, students and I engage in an “educational autobiography” in which they think about who they are as individuals and teachers and work to identify their privileges. This activity forces students to think critically about how their identity can shape their practice and continues to shape and deepen their philosophy of education. As a teacher educator, I strive to stay abreast of current educational technology to enhance and support my instruction and student learning and achievement. Therefore, I must create activities that infuse technology into my courses and provide students with opportunities to learn new tools. Students’ interest in all courses can increase by adding technologically enriched learning environments.

My teaching philosophy is not only grounded in the current and seminal research in teaching and learning. It is also grounded in what I understand as “good teaching.” Through deep reflection on my practices and experiences as an elementary school teacher, administrator, and instructional coach, my philosophy reflects what I have seen in the field. The process of teaching and learning is intricate and nuanced. Teacher education programs' critical role in this process is long-documented and ever-changing. I am convinced that teacher educators have the unique opportunity to stand in the gap and support candidates in their efforts to develop the critical skills needed to be successful teachers.

References

Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teaching for social justice: Resources, relationships, and anti-racist practice. Multicultural Perspectives, 19(3), 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2017.1335039 

Darling-Hammond, L., & Oakes, J. (2021). Preparing teachers for deeper learning. Harvard Education Press.

Ledesma, M. C., & Calderón, D. (2015). Critical race theory in education. Qualitative Inquiry, 21(3), 206-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800414557825