My Teaching Philosophy |

Kenny Bumbaco's Electronic Portfolio

My Teaching Philosophy

As a part of my first class in the masters program, I created a philosophy of teaching before I began my practicum and student teaching experience. More recently, after completing all of my practica and much of my student teaching, I reflected on my practice and developed a new philosophy of teaching and learning. The more recent one is included below my original philosophy. I believe I have solidified my beliefs through constant reflection on my teaching practice:

Philosophy of Teaching (June 2007):

A teacher must be a role model for his students. He should be passionate about his subject, compassionate to his students, willing to share his true self, and knowledgeable without being condescending. A teacher needs to be a leader without being a tyrant. He should listen to and learn from his students in addition to teaching them. These must be the foundations of a teacher. In order to put these ideals into practice, I believe that the teacher must establish the right environment for learning, develop a personal relationship with his students, and design a curriculum that calms the fears of both the teacher and the student.

The establishment of the proper learning environment is necessary to a good education. The classroom should be a place of respect. It is just as important that students respect one another as that there be respect between teacher and students. The physical environment should put the subject in the center rather than the teacher or the students. Both groups should be seeking to understand their common subject of study. Students should not be afraid to ask questions and neither should the teacher. In the proper environment, students should be able to learn from other students as well as the teacher. The classroom must be a community, but not ruled by absolute dictatorship or anarchy. Students should feel comfortable that neither the teacher nor other students will attack them for expressing their thoughts or questions. When learning something new and different, there are no stupid questions. Learning requires constant interaction and reinforcement of concepts. With new concepts building on old ones, it is critical that older concepts be maintained. The classroom should encourage open dialogue and learning without fear.

The teacher must attempt to connect with his students. A teacher cannot ignore the concerns or issues that his students have. Teaching should not merely be about learning subject matter but also helping student mature into adulthood. Allowing students to share their own thoughts helps them develop a sense of self and the confidence to share that self with others. The best way for a teacher to connect with his students is to bring his own life experiences into the discussion. Students will feel more comfortable speaking in a class where they feel like discussion is real rather than directed. Show and tell can be a useful strategy, even in a secondary classroom. Bringing in something that can make the subject real can help the students see that the subject is not merely something they need for school but that exists outside the school’s walls. The teacher should be approachable to students and try to understand that each student is an individual and has his or her own needs. It is important to find a way to connect the subject material to these needs.

The curriculum must help to encourage learning. A class should be designed as a mixture of lecture and interaction. The teacher should introduce concepts and then allow the students to explore this information and question it. Homework should continue to reinforce the independent thinking of the students by allowing them to apply these concepts in new ways. One of the great purposes of education is to encourage students to think for themselves. It is also important that the curriculum encourage teamwork by allowing for group problem solving. Groups encourage individuals to learn their personal strengths and weaknesses and to respect the opinions and abilities of others. Once students understand how to work together with others and to contribute to a community, they will have a better chance to be good citizens of the world. Ultimately, the curriculum should encourage general and social knowledge as well as knowledge of the subject area.

As a teacher, I will encourage students to make their voices heard. I will bring my experience and knowledge to the classroom not as a dictator but as a fellow member of the circle of learning. I will design a curriculum that promotes a sense of community and the development of self. My classroom will be a place that encourages learning rather than fear.

My Philosophy of Teaching and Learning (April 2008):

I believe first and foremost that all American children should learn a second language. Learning a second language not only opens up a whole new world of literature, art, and culture, but it can also help students better understand their own native language. I believe it is critical that units are designed with the students’ needs in mind. Students must see language learning as relevant to them.

I believe that culture must be an integral part of every language classroom every day. Communicative activities in all four major skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) must take place in a thematic context that is as culturally authentic as possible. Authentic materials should be included in the classroom from the beginning. All students should be capable of interpreting an authentic text at their level of language learning. Spanish should be spoken at all times by both student and teacher from the second half of the Spanish I. In Latin, authentic texts should be used from the beginning. The students should focus on the language using culture, history, and mythology as contextual aids.

I believe strongly in backward design. It is important to know where students need to be at the end of the year and at the end of each unit before planning any instruction. I believe that technology must be used as a means to an end. After determining my objectives for a day, I determine what technology can be best used to add value to my lesson, whether it is used to bring in audio or video or to allow students to interact with authentic cultural artifacts. I believe that assessment results should influence all instructional decisions. Formative and summative assessments not only tell where students have mastery or need to improve, but they also indicate where instruction needs to change. It is a critical part of reflection to look at student assessments.

I believe that students must help create their own best and most respectful classroom environment. I am a strong proponent of the student-centered classroom. Especially in the foreign language classroom, students need to talk with each other as much as the teacher lectures them. Languages are skill-based subjects, and skills can only be cemented through good practice. I believe that fun and humor are critical parts of the classroom. It is important to inject humor into learning as much as possible as long as it does not poke fun at students personally or disrespect the culture.

I believe that parents and guardians must be in open communication with the teacher at every step of the way. I will make myself available to talk and e-mail with parents as much as possible. It is important to report to them the good things as much as, if not more than, the bad. The family must know that you are both together in trying to do what is best for their child.

I believe that reflection and collaboration are keys to good teaching. After every lesson, it is important to determine what went well, what went poorly, and what needs to change. Being a reflective practitioner is a key part in any profession. As in other professions, it is also important to talk with other teachers about best practices and to share ideas so that we may all use the best methods possible to help our students learn. Reflection and collaboration are the most important characteristics of a teacher leader.