Philosophy of Teaching

Philosophy of Teaching 

The Teacher’s Role

I see the teacher’s role as philosopher, facilitator, counselor and motivator.  In the classroom, the teacher navigates the course with a philosophically sound curriculum, facilitating student discussion and stimulating active participation.  In one-on-one conferences, the teacher functions as an assessor of student progress, Socratic guide and, always, the student’s ally and motivator.

The Cognitive Process

Reading leads to cognition because the reader’s repertoire interfaces with that of the text, so his schema, connecting with new ideas, synthesize new thought: interpretations of the text, the world and the reader himself.  Discussion leads to cognition, too.  As we converse with colleagues about a text or an issue, we’re forced to come to terms with how our ideas fit (or don’t) with others’.  Thus, peer conferencing and group discussions are instrumental in honing thoughts about a text and in developing the cognitive process overall.  In the same way, writing benefits cognition.  Just as speaking forces the speaker to take a stand, writing achieves this goal with the added benefit of additional time to reflect upon and develop one’s opinions and to consider, agree with or refute counter-arguments, arriving at conclusions with confidence.

Integrating Speaking, Reading and Writing

It’s crucial to integrate speaking, reading and writing to capitalize on the synergy that one lends to the other.  For example, students read to gain understanding.  This is followed by discussion, which further embeds understanding, which, bolstered by a sense of community, allows one’s own opinions and confidence to flourish.  This leads very naturally to the writing process, wherein the student further develops her stance, aware that the writing will be read by the instructor, in peer review, or workshopped before the whole class.   In this “proving ground,” students learn what works and what needs developing as far as point, purpose, audience and voice. 

Intensive/Extensive Reading and Writing

Reading will be presented as an opportunity to discover ways of thinking and ways of making meaning.  Students are encouraged to evaluate readings from a meta-cognitive point of view, developing an awareness of the process of writing, especially as a model for student writing.  In addition to focusing on academic discourse as a ticket to membership in the academy, it's equally important to give students the chance to write "low stakes" pieces, such as free writing and non-graded journals.  These are vital means to help students develop their own points of view as readers, and their own sense of voice as writers.

Meaningful Context

I feel it's vital to engage the student in meaningful experiences with language -- as personal and relevant as possible.  For this reason, the class will incorporate a number of whole class and small group discussions.  Opinion papers, journals, free writes and a term-ending reflection paper also boost a sense of relevance for the individual as students are encouraged to examine and express their personal views, as opposed to simply playing the role of fillable vessels.   After developing a sense of connectedness to the academy and a sense that their personal voices matter, students proceed into more traditional academic writing, aided by an augmented sense of agency and confidence.

Assessment

Assessment is an important measurement of student progress.  Through written commentary on student papers, and through student-teacher conferences and peer review, students will receive feedback to let them know what’s working and what needs improvement.  This is instrumental in giving students a feeling of accomplishment and closure for a job well done, on one hand, or a re-direction for misaligned tendencies, should their writing indicate the need.  At the same time, I believe it builds more agency and buy-in for students to participate through self-assessment in an end-of-term reflection paper explaining their learning experiences and why they believe they deserve a particular assessment.