Teaching Philosophy Statement

Many teachers enter the profession with their own ideas of how to teach, and I was no exception. My teaching ideas were grounded in the concept that every student was teachable, and that I, unlike most teachers before me, would be able to unlock the learning for every student. I thought that all my students will turn from their unproductive ways, regardless of their life experiences, and become serious students. I wanted to be a teacher who positively influenced many young lives, and inspired all my students to bright futures in the pursuit of education. I entered the field of education because of me wanting to help humanity and make a difference. The reality of the classroom contrasted sharply with this dream. I encountered students who worked hard and completed all their homework, but who did most of the work incorrectly. Their skills were sometimes derailed by poor memorization of facts and the language barrier. It was initially very difficult to develop strategies to help them. Some of my co-teachers and students’ parents believed they would benefit from extra practice, others believed they needed to go to English Academies once they finished with their studies for the day at elementary school. I didn’t have the answers, but many hours of my time spent working with them yielded progress.

While on a good day, these students had the ability to do their work correctly, motivating them to sit down and work was difficult. Much of their time was lost socializing or avoiding the tasks at hand. These students often benefited from individual attention, so I tried to find time to help them individually with their problems. Once I became aware of the attention issue, I was able to monitor their work more closely, and encourage them to stay on task. In this way, these students made