Teaching Philosophy

I have always admired those who go into teaching. I have had a passion for learning from a young age, and the encouragement, guidance, and education I received from my teachers while growing up had a very positive influence on me. In college, I found through various mentorship opportunities that being able to share my knowledge with others and guide them was fulfilling for me. I had not yet managed to find my place in the Chemical Engineering department at UT, so I decided to apply to change my major my junior year, with the hopes of changing to the Chemistry Teaching track, and was ultimately accepted into that major and UTeach Natural Sciences.

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I believe that one of my most important roles as a teacher is to serve as a mediator for children’s learning and growth, not only as a student, but as a person in general, as teachers are some of the most significant influences on young minds that are not a blood connection. In order to have the best possible influence on my students, I will strive to encourage cooperative learning, reduce stereotype threat, and use formative assessments within their classrooms.

Students receive many benefits in environments with cooperative learning. Cooperative learning in structured groups to develop more interpersonal skills and a higher level of critical thinking. Instilling these qualities in children results in adults who are able to think more analytically and creatively about issues, and communicate with their peers to find solutions that benefit society as a whole, in addition to providing individual enrichment.

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The importance of undermining stereotype threat cannot be understated. As a woman in a STEM major, the struggles stigmatized groups, including women, African Americans, and others, compared to those experienced by less marginalized groups which manifested mainly due to societal expectations and stereotypes resonate strongly with me. While it is not feasible for one teacher or even one school to completely remove this toxic culture and the negative effects it brings upon students, I can be a living example demonstrating that societal expectations are not always justified and perhaps prevent this mindset from becoming as entrenched in the minds of upcoming students.

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Assessment of some kind is necessary in every classroom to determine the effectiveness of the teacher’s instruction in getting students to comprehend material. Formative assessment most significantly improves the performance on low-achieving students, as there are more opportunities for growth throughout the learning process. Thus, the overall achievement is greater and the disparity between the lowest and highest performing students is less distinct. It also improves the retention of previously low-achieving students by building their self confidence in school so they maximize the impact of their education.

 

Therefore, as a teacher, I will endeavor to implement cooperative learning to enrich the skills of my students, to reduce the impact of stereotypes that could affect their goals and self worth, and to utilize formative assessments with the goal of providing opportunities for improvement throughout the learning process.