I like to think of the classroom as a door; a door to opportunities for success, for understanding, for communication, for questioning, and for a life full of learning. Students walk into a classroom expecting to receive more than just subject knowledge, and it is the teacher’s duty to create that learning experience. When my students leave my classroom, I hope they have grown in five ways: the ability to communicate ideas effectively through speaking and writing, as well as through multimedia; the ability to think critically and to question the world around them in order to create change; a deeper understanding of, appreciation for, and compassion for those of diverse backgrounds; a curiosity and passion for inquiry and life-long learning; and the knowledge that others care about and believe in them.
At the core of my teaching practice are three methodologies: communicative language teaching through a task-based approach with authentic tasks and regalia, cooperative and collaborative learning, and inquiry. These drive every lesson I create - whether I am teaching the passé compose in French or Romeo and Juliet in English Language Arts. I chose these methodologies because they are hands-on, they focus on the student and his or her interaction with others and the content, and they promote critical thinking and student ownership of learning.
For example, in a unit on the passé compose, we may use inquiry to explore similarities in the construction of the past tense in other languages, or to investigate the historical past, or to apply skills to new verbs. We may use cooperative and collaborative learning to connect past participles and auxiliary verbs, craft sentences, and build paragraphs; or to teach each other about verb forms and help improve each other’s writing. Communicative task-based language teaching would be used to watch and listen to authentic conversations using the passé compose, to practice speaking and writing to native speakers, or to keep journals about their lives and their reflection on learning.
In an English classroom, though the content may be different, I would still make use of all three methodologies. Taking the example of a unit on Romeo and Juliet, students may use inquiry to research about Shakespeare and his times crafting their own guiding questions, or to question the relevancy of studying Shakespeare in today’s modern world. They would use cooperative and collaborative learning to work together in the production of a scene reenactment, to discuss the text through Socratic and collaborative group discussion, or to practice analysis skills and edit each other’s writing. Although communicative task-based language teaching is often thought of as a methodology reserved for the foreign language classroom, it easily applies to the English Language Arts classroom where one core goal is to improve students’ communication through speeches, presentations, and various writing formats. In a unit on Shakespeare, the aforementioned performance, as an oral interpretation, easily plays into the ideas of communicative task-based language teaching, and asking students to perform in front of an audience brings authenticity to the task. Students would also practice communication skills in the writing of analytical or argumentative pieces, perhaps through the medium of a blog, podcast, etc.
To accomplish all of this, a warm, safe, and engaging classroom environment is key. In my classroom, everyone is valued - no matter one’s background, ability, or beliefs. Every class, I greet my students at the door and welcome them into the classroom. After entering the room, students will sit in the cooperative teams where they will regularly engage in team building and class building activities to build classroom community. They will see posters around the room that support learning and also encourage students, as well as examples of student success. In my classroom, the success of every student – whether small or large – is celebrated. When conflict arises, student-created rules and consequences are adhered to, and I make sure to have personal conversations with the student(s) involved, using aspects of Restorative Practices to build trust and understanding.
Another essential element of building both the positive classroom environment and implementing my curriculum and philosophy is modeling. I strongly believe that teachers must be the person they want their students to become. Therefore, I do my best to be a communicator of ideas, a critical thinker, a compassionate and caring leader, and a life-long learner, through continual reflection and learning. In addition, as I believe that a teacher should not only model within the context of school but also in the greater community, I do my best to participate in community outreach programs to help bring positive change and growth. This is not simply my philosophy of teaching; it is my philosophy of life.
At the core of my teaching practice are three methodologies: communicative language teaching through a task-based approach with authentic tasks and regalia, cooperative and collaborative learning, and inquiry. These drive every lesson I create - whether I am teaching the passé compose in French or Romeo and Juliet in English Language Arts. I chose these methodologies because they are hands-on, they focus on the student and his or her interaction with others and the content, and they promote critical thinking and student ownership of learning.
For example, in a unit on the passé compose, we may use inquiry to explore similarities in the construction of the past tense in other languages, or to investigate the historical past, or to apply skills to new verbs. We may use cooperative and collaborative learning to connect past participles and auxiliary verbs, craft sentences, and build paragraphs; or to teach each other about verb forms and help improve each other’s writing. Communicative task-based language teaching would be used to watch and listen to authentic conversations using the passé compose, to practice speaking and writing to native speakers, or to keep journals about their lives and their reflection on learning.
In an English classroom, though the content may be different, I would still make use of all three methodologies. Taking the example of a unit on Romeo and Juliet, students may use inquiry to research about Shakespeare and his times crafting their own guiding questions, or to question the relevancy of studying Shakespeare in today’s modern world. They would use cooperative and collaborative learning to work together in the production of a scene reenactment, to discuss the text through Socratic and collaborative group discussion, or to practice analysis skills and edit each other’s writing. Although communicative task-based language teaching is often thought of as a methodology reserved for the foreign language classroom, it easily applies to the English Language Arts classroom where one core goal is to improve students’ communication through speeches, presentations, and various writing formats. In a unit on Shakespeare, the aforementioned performance, as an oral interpretation, easily plays into the ideas of communicative task-based language teaching, and asking students to perform in front of an audience brings authenticity to the task. Students would also practice communication skills in the writing of analytical or argumentative pieces, perhaps through the medium of a blog, podcast, etc.
To accomplish all of this, a warm, safe, and engaging classroom environment is key. In my classroom, everyone is valued - no matter one’s background, ability, or beliefs. Every class, I greet my students at the door and welcome them into the classroom. After entering the room, students will sit in the cooperative teams where they will regularly engage in team building and class building activities to build classroom community. They will see posters around the room that support learning and also encourage students, as well as examples of student success. In my classroom, the success of every student – whether small or large – is celebrated. When conflict arises, student-created rules and consequences are adhered to, and I make sure to have personal conversations with the student(s) involved, using aspects of Restorative Practices to build trust and understanding.
Another essential element of building both the positive classroom environment and implementing my curriculum and philosophy is modeling. I strongly believe that teachers must be the person they want their students to become. Therefore, I do my best to be a communicator of ideas, a critical thinker, a compassionate and caring leader, and a life-long learner, through continual reflection and learning. In addition, as I believe that a teacher should not only model within the context of school but also in the greater community, I do my best to participate in community outreach programs to help bring positive change and growth. This is not simply my philosophy of teaching; it is my philosophy of life.