Teacher Diaries: Ms. Catherine – Teaching Philosophy
TweetI always think it is essential to get to know a student in order to teach them effectively. Teaching is not a one-way process. For it to work it requires a lot of mutual understanding and thorough communication between the teacher and the student. When I reflect on my personal experience as a student, it is always the teachers that interacted with us the most that have made the most impressive lessons. We talked about things outside the subject, things like families, news, favourite songs and latest mobile phones. We built our trust for each other through these trivial conversations and we were sharing the strongest bond before we even realized it. In that way, learning will become a natural, enjoyable process. I try to do the same with my own students.
Another important thing is to adopt a different strategy with each class, or even each student. Teaching is indeed a very tactical matter. With some students you might need to include a lot of active games or role plays, while some might prefer sitting around the desk reading a story together. This always involves a lot of trial and error, but there is always going to be a way that works for a class.
I also try to avoid stereotyping a particular student with labels like “quiet”, “talkative”, “mischievous”, “well-behaved”, etc. We as adults change over time, let alone children who are still undergoing rapid physical and mental development. I believe that with enough patience and suitable guidance, every student will be able to find their own strengths and give the best of themselves.