Teaching Philosophy

Statement of Teaching Philosophy

Jennifer Stück

As a teacher, my ultimate goal is to empower my students to become confident, self-motivated learners who are able to take charge of their own education in an international and tech-driven world

I believe in the vital role the Humanities play in achieving this. Literature, Rhetoric, Philosophy, History, the Arts and all their myriad offshoots are excellent mentors to students who are working out their place in the world. The events, storylines, ideas, and arguments presented to students through the relative safety of books, research, performance, and exhibits provide students with endless opportunities to engage in constructive (and safe because it takes place once removed)  dialogue with those who shaped the world we live in. 

I believe that careful planning and execution must go into not just the curriculum, but also the classroom space, the classroom dynamics, and more. In order to bring this about, I believe my classroom must provide: 

1. A welcoming and safe atmosphere. Students should feel that they are supported, included and respected at every stage of their education.

2. A rigorous and scaffolded curriculum designed to ‘teach up’ that

   • instills a sense of confidence in students so they feel ready to face the ‘adult world’.

   • provides a structured environment that allows students to take calculated risks in their work.

   • demonstrates vertical connections so students can observe the effect of consistent effort over time.

3. Activities that engage students and introduce a democratic approach to meeting standards. As such, assignments should be interactive, hands-on, and relevant to their lives. I encourage my students to ask questions, participate in discussions, and take ownership of their own learning by setting goals and self-assessing their progress.

4. A clear link to their cultural, ecological, political, and social surroundings. The works discussed and tasks assigned must be relevent to the students within the context of their environment.

I believe it is my responsibility to remain open to new ideas and perspectives, to learn a variety of teaching strategies, to research new resources to meet the needs of all learners, and to encourage my students to take risks and make mistakes.

I believe that an effective teacher will be able to balance pushing students to produce increasingly more complex work while holding space for students so they feel free to be themselves in their work. 

In short, I believe my job is to prepare students to be confident contenders in whatever field they chose to compete in, but also to provide them with the inner resilience for when life doesn’t go as planned.