Teaching Philosophy Statement

Learning is a process of obtaining knowledge that cannot be controlled by institutions, governments, or other people. Institutions may guide learners to a particular framework or system of education but cannot totally control one’s learning.

Learning is handled only by oneself, which comes from that person’s willingness because, in the first place, one cannot be taught if he/she is close-minded to other perspectives and new learnings. Learners’ willingness shall also bring the initiative to understand the concepts being taught, but how?

This is when the role of teachers becomes essential. I believe that teaching starts when students see the teacher on the first day of class, her/his behavior towards the students, and how she/he carries herself/himself in front of people. Starting from there, teachers have already become role models for students.

And as a teacher, I will always uphold the principle of excellence through social awareness. It will start with me establishing a good relationship and environment for students by converting the school as a safe space for my students to freely express their thoughts, views, feelings, and so on. Accordingly, it is crucial for me as a teacher to connect the academic lessons to actual individual, societal, national, and international problems. This may sound so ideal and difficult to attain as the lessons are not all arranged to this kind of approach, but as a teacher, I have the responsibility to enrich learners’ awareness in different aspects of life.

I want to inculcate in my students the practice of critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a comprehensive understanding of specific topics. In this way, I can produce learners who cannot be easily swayed by disinformation and lies about a particular topic such as politics and history, especially today when information can easily be manipulated. And will use blended learning methods and active recall of lessons to effectively maintain and accomplish my goals for my students. To explain, hybrid learning or blended learning is an educational model that combines traditional classroom instruction with an online learning environment (What is Blended Learning?, 2021).  On the other hand, the active recall method involves information retrieval and repeated testing to develop better retention and comprehension (Tamm, 2021).

I will use the classroom as a training ground for the students to be equipped to face 21st-century real-world struggles. Exams, quizzes, oral and written activities will be implemented as part of the objective bases of grades, and at the end of the semester, community-based activities such as legislation of barangay-level problems will be the final requirement for students, and it will be graded according to its relevance and attainability. While studying will be more comprehensive in my class, this will not mean that all activities will all be about the lessons. I would also want to establish peer activities that the students will genuinely enjoy.

I believe that education must be inclusive; no matter what the social stratification dictates one’s status, as a teacher, I shall be able to cater to the needs of my students. That is why I will maintain the ideals of learner-centeredness through blended learning. In this way, students who do not have the privilege of owning digital devices can still follow and can have the chance to attain their goals.  

 

References

Tamm, S. (2021). Active Recall: What It Is, How It Works, and More. Retrieved from https://e-student.org/active-recall-study-method/

What is Blended Learning? (2021). Retrieved from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/blended-learning2109.html#close

 

 

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