Teaching Philosophy

 

          Conceptualizing my own definition of knowledge and learning is not an easy task, however I find a lot of similarities between Dewey’s Theory of Knowledge and my own philosophical approaches. I believe that there is no objective truth, therefore just like Dewey I prefer “knowing” to knowledge, since it “clearly points to the process of inquiry” (Noddings, 2012, p. 33). As teachers we should allow our students to construct new knowledge based on their previous experiences; we should provide students with opportunities to bridge the gap between what they know, what they are currently learning and how it can be applicable to the situations they might experience in real life. Knowledge should be presented in authentic contexts and therefore Vygotskiy’s Social Development Theory, Bruner’s Discovery Learning and Lave’s Situated learning theories play an important role in my instructional design process and teaching methodologies.

          Constructivist classroom requires students to learn how to observe and listen in order to create meaning and construct knowledge. Teachers, on the other hand, must facilitate the process and “create contextualized and meaningful lessons for small groups and individuals” (Gray, 1997). For this process to go smoothly the atmosphere of mutual respect is important and necessary. In a constructivist classroom teachers need to develop

                          skills and abilities to empower students and to make them feel competent and significant […] Constructivist teaching also requires intelligence,                           creativity, patience, responsiveness, and the ability to live with ambiguity permitting one to spontaneously abandon a plan in order to                                         accommodate specific individual or classroom situations. And while the job of being a constructivist teacher is demanding, its value is evident in                           the impact on students' learning and personal development (Gray, 1997, p.23-24)

           It is important to note that teachers should not only be the facilitators of knowledge but also the lifelong students and the researchers.  According to Gray (1997) “crucially important aspect of a teacher's job is watching, listening, and asking questions of students in order to learn about them and about how they learn so that teachers may be more helpful to students” (p.23). I believe that learning occurs best in student-centered instructional environments where 

                        students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. This learning model places the student (learner) in the center of the                               learning process. The instructor provides students with opportunities to learn independently and from one another and coaches them in the skills                          they need to do so effectively. […] Properly implemented SCI can lead to increased motivation to learn, greater retention of knowledge, deeper                            understanding, and more positive attitudes towards the subject being taught (Collins & O'Brien, 2003 as quoted in Froyd and Simpson, 2010).

 Just like movie editing, teaching becomes an “invisible art”. Instructors create environments in which learning will occur; they use classroom management techniques that will allow for a positive atmosphere where students feel safe and have desire to learn; they facilitate the process and guide the students toward a more efficient and effective way to construct knowledge (Watkins, et al., 2007)