Educational Philosophy Statement |
Science provides ample opportunity for deeper learning because our lives are consistently intertwined with science. One of the ways I try to get my students to think at a more profound level is by getting them invested in the material by showing how it applies to their lives. I enjoy making the content more accessible by connecting the material to the personal interests and experiences of my students. I try to act like a translator and ambassador for science: I attempt to break down the intimidating vocabulary of science while simultaneously bridging the concepts to my students' lives.
One of the many aspects I enjoy about teaching is cultivating relationships with my students, and finding out what motivates them. One of the ways I discover my students' various interests is through an easy questionnaire at the beginning of the year. While going through their comments about their personal interests, jobs, hobbies, extracurricular activities, hopes, and aspirations, I try to think about how to connect these to the curriculum. For example, if a few students are interested in becoming lawyers, I will make a note to bring up gene patent law during the genetics unit. If students are interested in architecture, I'll be sure to compare a cell's cytoskeleton to a building's infrastructure. If I have a student interested in rap, I will create an assignment option to write a rap about the subject matter. Essentially, I believe that when you give a student a reason to "buy in" to the content, they become more motivated to excel. Connecting the material to students' lives makes the material more accessible and fun for everyone.
I recognize that students learn in different ways, so I try to find ways to teach that address these different learning styles. Fortunately, science is an excellent subject for utilizing many different pedagogical techniques. Kinesthetic learners excel in laboratories and when physical models are utilized. Diagrams, models, and animations aid visual learners, and auditory learners benefit from lectures and having information presented orally. I aspire to authentically evaluate learning, so I believe in giving students options for different projects that demonstrate their learning in a way that is most meaningful for them. Giving them the opportunity to utilize their strengths provides an incentive for them to do well because they can enjoy the process and hopefully put more effort into the end product. The fall semester final in physiology is not a comprehensive exam, but something much more fun and worthwhile for my students. The assignment is called "Do Something Cool" and requires my students to do something related to physiology that utilizes their salient learning styles and multiple intelligences. For instance, a student could create a website, film a movie, write a short story, or build a model of a leg. As long as they create something impressive about what we have learned in physiology and are able to explain how it utilized their learning style or multiple intelligence, the requirement is satisfied.
One of the many aspects I enjoy about teaching is cultivating relationships with my students, and finding out what motivates them. One of the ways I discover my students' various interests is through an easy questionnaire at the beginning of the year. While going through their comments about their personal interests, jobs, hobbies, extracurricular activities, hopes, and aspirations, I try to think about how to connect these to the curriculum. For example, if a few students are interested in becoming lawyers, I will make a note to bring up gene patent law during the genetics unit. If students are interested in architecture, I'll be sure to compare a cell's cytoskeleton to a building's infrastructure. If I have a student interested in rap, I will create an assignment option to write a rap about the subject matter. Essentially, I believe that when you give a student a reason to "buy in" to the content, they become more motivated to excel. Connecting the material to students' lives makes the material more accessible and fun for everyone.
I recognize that students learn in different ways, so I try to find ways to teach that address these different learning styles. Fortunately, science is an excellent subject for utilizing many different pedagogical techniques. Kinesthetic learners excel in laboratories and when physical models are utilized. Diagrams, models, and animations aid visual learners, and auditory learners benefit from lectures and having information presented orally. I aspire to authentically evaluate learning, so I believe in giving students options for different projects that demonstrate their learning in a way that is most meaningful for them. Giving them the opportunity to utilize their strengths provides an incentive for them to do well because they can enjoy the process and hopefully put more effort into the end product. The fall semester final in physiology is not a comprehensive exam, but something much more fun and worthwhile for my students. The assignment is called "Do Something Cool" and requires my students to do something related to physiology that utilizes their salient learning styles and multiple intelligences. For instance, a student could create a website, film a movie, write a short story, or build a model of a leg. As long as they create something impressive about what we have learned in physiology and are able to explain how it utilized their learning style or multiple intelligence, the requirement is satisfied.
Furthermore, I acknowledge that students are by and large very social creatures. I appreciate this and use this to all our advantages by making time in lesson plans for students to interact. I utilize a good deal of "Think-Pair-Share" where the students individually contemplate a posed question and then talk to a partner before sharing their refined thoughts to a larger group. There is also a lot of cooperative learning built into my lesson plans since it is fun for the students and also helps to develop valuable interpersonal abilities, necessary skills to succeed in the "real world."
In addition to learning to excel within group dynamics, there are many other life skills that I insist my students to develop. They include learning to critically read, think and question. I am resolute in these objectives, because I know that they are pertinent skills to succeed within and beyond high school. Students need to evaluate texts not only for meaning, but also for bias and intention. Thinking and asking the important questions translates to being a thoughtful and intelligent person, and helps one challenge the norm and seek deeper understanding. I have witnessed the decay of writing, and I am adamant about not standing by and letting this trajectory continue. This is one reason I am a proponent for the Common Core Standards, which promote literacy skills across the curriculum. Literacy extends beyond reading: it spans to include writing, speaking and listening. These are skills that I do not ignore in my teaching, rather I stress that my students be competent in each of the four domains of literacy. I believe that it is the job of every teacher, regardless of discipline, to participate in this integral element of education. If we wish to graduate students who can compete in a global market, literacy skills must be stressed.
I think it is very valuable to create a classroom environment that nurtures learning. I want my students to feel that my classroom is a place where they can learn and where they will be supported in that endeavor. One of the ways I try to make my room a positive learning environment is by developing a rapport with my students and by showing that I care about them as more than just science students. Expressing interest in my students as entire beings shows that I care about them as individuals, not as numbers or merely another occupied seat in my class. I care about their wellbeing, their emotional and physical health, and their success within and outside of my classroom. I ask my students about their lives, and share my life with them. When students understand that a teacher genuinely cares about them, they are more willing to take risks when learning and commit to succeeding.
My role as a teacher can be distilled to the idea that my job is to facilitate my students' learning and to invigorate their curiosity in learning. I put in a great deal of effort to accomplish this by knowing the content, knowing my students, and by modeling the same behavior I expect from them: respect and appreciation for one another and the pursuit of knowledge.
In addition to learning to excel within group dynamics, there are many other life skills that I insist my students to develop. They include learning to critically read, think and question. I am resolute in these objectives, because I know that they are pertinent skills to succeed within and beyond high school. Students need to evaluate texts not only for meaning, but also for bias and intention. Thinking and asking the important questions translates to being a thoughtful and intelligent person, and helps one challenge the norm and seek deeper understanding. I have witnessed the decay of writing, and I am adamant about not standing by and letting this trajectory continue. This is one reason I am a proponent for the Common Core Standards, which promote literacy skills across the curriculum. Literacy extends beyond reading: it spans to include writing, speaking and listening. These are skills that I do not ignore in my teaching, rather I stress that my students be competent in each of the four domains of literacy. I believe that it is the job of every teacher, regardless of discipline, to participate in this integral element of education. If we wish to graduate students who can compete in a global market, literacy skills must be stressed.
I think it is very valuable to create a classroom environment that nurtures learning. I want my students to feel that my classroom is a place where they can learn and where they will be supported in that endeavor. One of the ways I try to make my room a positive learning environment is by developing a rapport with my students and by showing that I care about them as more than just science students. Expressing interest in my students as entire beings shows that I care about them as individuals, not as numbers or merely another occupied seat in my class. I care about their wellbeing, their emotional and physical health, and their success within and outside of my classroom. I ask my students about their lives, and share my life with them. When students understand that a teacher genuinely cares about them, they are more willing to take risks when learning and commit to succeeding.
My role as a teacher can be distilled to the idea that my job is to facilitate my students' learning and to invigorate their curiosity in learning. I put in a great deal of effort to accomplish this by knowing the content, knowing my students, and by modeling the same behavior I expect from them: respect and appreciation for one another and the pursuit of knowledge.