TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
From my experience as a teacher, I feel that the most rewarding aspect is observing my students develop academic confidence, self-motivation and the success to continue learning. Ultimately, when the student you are teaching comes home with a 13% increase in their grades, you know you have done a great job! Succinctly, I enjoy being a teacher and I wish for everyone to have the chance to do the same. It’s a rewarding and educational experience that not only betters the lives of others but helps myself to grow and continue to learn.
My aspirations as a teacher are to guide students to reach their potential by any means necessary. I encourage learning beyond the act of memorizing by implementing interactive group work and discussions. These discussions push students outside of their comfort zone in a safe and positive atmosphere for sharing their ideas. Also, I believe that the incorporation of engaging, interactive dialogues between the student and myself or the class adds enthusiasm to the topic being covered. This dialogue helps teach the students to verbally communicate in a professional manner. I have come to realize that teaching is not merely standing in front of a class and reading out of a textbook or slides on the board; it is more than that. It is active teaching that will help inspire and guide students to learn. Learning to teach with excitement and enthusiasm will help inspire students to not only listen actively but to learn and appreciate the content matter. In the end, an informed and inspired student is a successful one.
As a teacher, it’s important to acknowledge that students have different strengths and weaknesses. This is what I like to call ‘diversity in the classroom’. I am learning to be a more patient and understanding teacher, especially when students have difficulty learning a subject(s). A teacher must tailor their teaching techniques to adhere to the needs of all types of learning styles, such as using handouts, PowerPoint presentations, writing on the board and giving student’s time to record and absorb. I have also learned to promote independent learning beyond teaching sessions by assigning fun and educational homework where the student will do research on an aspect of the class content that the they found interesting.
My role as a teacher does not stop in the classroom. On many occasions, I have made myself available to both my current and past students. Whether it is them wanting to ask how I am or if they could chat sometime about applying to graduate school. I welcome the chance to help these students better themselves and grow in academia. The gratification that I receive when a previous or current student wishes to pursue further graduate studies is the greatest feeling. Nothing means more to me than knowing that I have inspired that student to the point where they are excited about learning.
As a science teaching assistant, I often contribute to teaching lectures and the curriculum. For example, Biol2070 (Research Methods in Cell and Molecular Biology) contained a module focused on teaching students how to write scientifically. I assisted in the assemblage of activities for the students to complete in class and helped them understand the content in a fun and educational manner. The students utilized a criteria developed by Western University called ‘the CRAAP’ exercise (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) that taught the students how to judge the credibility of a source/website for use in writing a research paper. The students were expected to bring in a newspaper article posted on the internet and assess their article. This exercise helped the students to practice effective written communication. Judging from the well-written research papers as a means of formative assessment and the positive feedback from the course directors and students, I suspect that the in-class and web-based activities were helpful when teaching scientific writing methods.
When presenting my lectures for Biol2070, I constantly added educational tidbits to content beyond what was posted on the PowerPoint slide during a lesson, with the help of student-mediated discussions. This method was particularly effective in order for the students to further understand the concepts and try to conceptualize the theory or example in terms they will relate to. For example, when teaching about peer-editing in the scientific writing module, it is my common practice to utilize jargon and language that the students are comfortable with. This helps them understand what is expected of them.
A number of opportunities in my life have enhanced my passion to be a teacher. For example, being the recipient of the 2013 Faculty of Education for Excellence in Teaching Award, my completion of a teaching course offered by SEDA (Supporting and Leading Educational Change), being a Teaching Assistant in university and being a personal tutor to high school students. Of these opportunities, being a Teaching Assistant for over 7 years (since 2009) has been my greatest experience. I have learned many teaching techniques over time (e.g., fun, interactive exercises) and I continue to grow with every class I teach. Every student provides me with a challenge, to either lead them in the right direction to allow for independent learning or to implement 1-on-1 sessions that incorporates interactive learning between me and the student.
The opportunity to be a personal tutor has also heightened my ability to interact on a 1-to-1 relationship with students who are not able to grasp the subject matter. I help students by modernizing examples that pique their interest. For example, when I am teaching mathematics, I will make a quiz that incorporates aspects of sports in a pictorial format, such as a graph showing time left in the hockey game (x-axis) and the number of goals scored (y-axis). I will then ask them to calculate the equation of the line on the graph and to explain in words what the graph is showing regarding the hockey game. By this, I am incorporating personal interest in the subject matter, while teaching a lesson about graphing.
Upon reflection, my general teaching process has involved these three major components: who is my audience, what do they need to learn, and how will I engage them. Teaching preparation and enthusiasm around the subject matter are crucial to this learning process. Being open to new teaching techniques, e.g., blended learning or group-dependent learning is essential to becoming a teacher who can adhere to a changing world caused by many factors: the growth of technology, higher educational expectations and especially a greater diversity in the classroom.
There are many advantages of being a teacher, e.g., the rewards of seeing the student succeed. While teaching the Biol2070 scientific writing module, I witnessed the evolution and quality of their assignments change for the better as a reflection of my teaching practices. However, I have also experienced some disadvantages being a teacher, e.g., a student dropping the course because they find the material too difficult. In this situation, I am confident that if the student remained in the course, I would have been able to help them. The future of a student will be more promising with the effort and guidance from a great teacher.
As a teacher, it’s important to acknowledge that students have different strengths and weaknesses. This is what I like to call ‘diversity in the classroom’. I am learning to be a more patient and understanding teacher, especially when students have difficulty learning a subject(s). A teacher must tailor their teaching techniques to adhere to the needs of all types of learning styles, such as using handouts, PowerPoint presentations, writing on the board and giving student’s time to record and absorb. I have also learned to promote independent learning beyond teaching sessions by assigning fun and educational homework where the student will do research on an aspect of the class content that the they found interesting.
My role as a teacher does not stop in the classroom. On many occasions, I have made myself available to both my current and past students. Whether it is them wanting to ask how I am or if they could chat sometime about applying to graduate school. I welcome the chance to help these students better themselves and grow in academia. The gratification that I receive when a previous or current student wishes to pursue further graduate studies is the greatest feeling. Nothing means more to me than knowing that I have inspired that student to the point where they are excited about learning.
As a science teaching assistant, I often contribute to teaching lectures and the curriculum. For example, Biol2070 (Research Methods in Cell and Molecular Biology) contained a module focused on teaching students how to write scientifically. I assisted in the assemblage of activities for the students to complete in class and helped them understand the content in a fun and educational manner. The students utilized a criteria developed by Western University called ‘the CRAAP’ exercise (currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose) that taught the students how to judge the credibility of a source/website for use in writing a research paper. The students were expected to bring in a newspaper article posted on the internet and assess their article. This exercise helped the students to practice effective written communication. Judging from the well-written research papers as a means of formative assessment and the positive feedback from the course directors and students, I suspect that the in-class and web-based activities were helpful when teaching scientific writing methods.
When presenting my lectures for Biol2070, I constantly added educational tidbits to content beyond what was posted on the PowerPoint slide during a lesson, with the help of student-mediated discussions. This method was particularly effective in order for the students to further understand the concepts and try to conceptualize the theory or example in terms they will relate to. For example, when teaching about peer-editing in the scientific writing module, it is my common practice to utilize jargon and language that the students are comfortable with. This helps them understand what is expected of them.
A number of opportunities in my life have enhanced my passion to be a teacher. For example, being the recipient of the 2013 Faculty of Education for Excellence in Teaching Award, my completion of a teaching course offered by SEDA (Supporting and Leading Educational Change), being a Teaching Assistant in university and being a personal tutor to high school students. Of these opportunities, being a Teaching Assistant for over 7 years (since 2009) has been my greatest experience. I have learned many teaching techniques over time (e.g., fun, interactive exercises) and I continue to grow with every class I teach. Every student provides me with a challenge, to either lead them in the right direction to allow for independent learning or to implement 1-on-1 sessions that incorporates interactive learning between me and the student.
The opportunity to be a personal tutor has also heightened my ability to interact on a 1-to-1 relationship with students who are not able to grasp the subject matter. I help students by modernizing examples that pique their interest. For example, when I am teaching mathematics, I will make a quiz that incorporates aspects of sports in a pictorial format, such as a graph showing time left in the hockey game (x-axis) and the number of goals scored (y-axis). I will then ask them to calculate the equation of the line on the graph and to explain in words what the graph is showing regarding the hockey game. By this, I am incorporating personal interest in the subject matter, while teaching a lesson about graphing.
Upon reflection, my general teaching process has involved these three major components: who is my audience, what do they need to learn, and how will I engage them. Teaching preparation and enthusiasm around the subject matter are crucial to this learning process. Being open to new teaching techniques, e.g., blended learning or group-dependent learning is essential to becoming a teacher who can adhere to a changing world caused by many factors: the growth of technology, higher educational expectations and especially a greater diversity in the classroom.
There are many advantages of being a teacher, e.g., the rewards of seeing the student succeed. While teaching the Biol2070 scientific writing module, I witnessed the evolution and quality of their assignments change for the better as a reflection of my teaching practices. However, I have also experienced some disadvantages being a teacher, e.g., a student dropping the course because they find the material too difficult. In this situation, I am confident that if the student remained in the course, I would have been able to help them. The future of a student will be more promising with the effort and guidance from a great teacher.