Teaching Philosophy

As an educator, I believe that one of my greatest responsibilities is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning and teaching with them. My approach to teaching will keep two fundamental ideas in mind—what content and skills I want my students to learn, and how I want my students to feel about their experience learning about the Spanish language and culture. My goal is to create a supportive classroom culture that will help students develop the four basic skills of communication—reading, writing, speaking and listening—while engaging students and meeting the individual needs of each student in today’s diverse classrooms.

To accomplish this, I believe strongly in creating an activity-centered learning environment, whereby lessons are based on interactions, dialogue, and discussion. The classroom should provide ample opportunities for students to develop communicative language skills through exchanges of information in authentic situations with their peers. My role in this environment is as a guide, facilitating student’s interactions, ensuring that all students are engaging with one another effectively, and are constructing knowledge. This communicative-based approach to language learning is key for developing students’ language proficiency and self-confidence in using the language. Moreover, since learning is based in authentic situations, the activities they do in class will directly equip them with real life linguistic and cultural skills.

At the center of a successful, activity-centered learning environment, is a safe, welcoming and positive classroom culture. I understand that peers have a direct influence on a students’ self-confidence and their willingness to participate in classroom discussions. If students do not feel comfortable amongst their peers, it is highly unlikely they will participate actively in class discussions and activities. Language acquisition requires students to step out of their comfort zone, make mistakes and learn from them, and they should be able to do so in a class where they feel comfortable, safe, and supported by their classmates. Moreover, students should be encouraged to support the success of their peers, by helping them when they are struggling and being rewarded for doing so. From the first day of class, I will work to establish a positive classroom culture that is conducive for learning.

Today’s classrooms are diverse, with students from many different racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and disability backgrounds and it is important to meet students’ various learning styles and individual needs. The task of providing a connection and identity with the Spanish language and culture is even more challenging with a diverse group of learners. I am charged with designing a curriculum and activities that meet the abilities and needs of all of my students and to hold all of them to a high standard. I will take this into account when giving feedback to students as well. I will verbally give them feedback as they work in groups and during class discussions and I will provide written comments and suggestions for writing assignments and activities. They will also receive feedback from one other as they learn to communicate effectively in class.

Every language is deeply rooted in a culture rich in traditions, stories, and history and it is my responsibility as a Spanish teacher to educate my students about Hispanic culture. Incorporating culture in language learning makes it more relevant, interesting and enjoyable. I will share the music, holidays, dress, food, and other traditions that I have learned in my studies and experiences abroad in Spain and Latin America. When students can connect with the cultural concepts being taught and when they relate to their own life experiences, they are much more likely to be interested and engaged in the topic. I want to empower my students by giving them access to the cultures of Spanish-speaking nations and inspire them to learn more.

My experience in the classroom has taught me that I am teaching students more than just Spanish language skills. I am teaching them that learning can be interactive and fun. I am teaching them to have confidence in themselves and that they are valued, supported and respected by their classmates and teachers. I am teaching them how to work together with those who are different than them to succeed. I am providing my students with the cultural knowledge that they need to be successful in today’s diverse society. My mission as a teacher is two-fold—to prepare my students for a lifetime of learning beyond my classroom and to help them grow, intellectually and personally.