Teaching Philosophy Statement
Respect. The feeling has always been an important part of my life, including my experience as a student. My favorite professors always treated my peers and I with high regard, therefore encouraging me to work harder, without pressure. Lessons were more than simply about French, English or Biology, since they also inculcated me with human qualities and developed my character. As a result, when I became an instructor myself, the memory of such teachers remained with me, and respect was the first thought on my mind.
I will always remember the way my tenth grade teacher put it: “You always catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” To me, this meant that respect and care could go much further than severity and rigidity, and I applied her philosophy to my everyday life, eventually becoming an instructor whose teaching style values such principles. Looking back at the saying today, I realize that my teacher may have been actually talking about herself, and incidentally drawing an analogy between my classmates and I, and a pack of irritating insects. However, I have since then taught an early morning Elementary French class to college freshmen, on a Friday, and therefore genuinely sympathize. Teaching can be a difficult task and students are not always motivated – which can quickly turn sour – but I am convinced that a “sweet”, or more precisely respectful, attitude can accomplish a lot.
However, I realized very quickly that respect is only the first step towards being a great professor. The instructors I admired were able to teach in a fluid and seamless fashion only because their lessons were the products of precise knowledge, careful planning, and a desire to educate. I have followed their example in my teaching, and value the hard work and creativity that go into a lesson plan. I always aim to find ways to involve my students and to keep them interested, all the while being approachable and patient. And just like my teacher implied with her reference to a small touch of honey, I have come to believe that the little things often make a big difference. For example, I like to arrive in class early and greet students individually, following up on stories they have shared with the class. I also like to incorporate visual components to my lessons, using technology or art, in order to vary my students’ experience in the classroom. But most importantly, I aim to create a respectful atmosphere that is favorable to learning. One of my most cherished recent evaluations highlights this fact: “the class had a comfortable atmosphere that made it extremely easy to learn and improve my language skills.”
Moreover, having a good rapport with students makes it easier to talk to them honestly, and discuss whether they are doing well in class or not. This in turn allows me to grade them fairly, and motivate them to always improve. In my opinion, a respectful attitude requires this high degree of honesty, which allows me to stay clear from babying my students. I believe in treating them like the adults they are in the process of becoming, therefore pushing them to be the best they can be. I feel most successful when my classes can be active participants in their own learning, and are able to monitor their progress. Additionally, this rapport of honesty goes both ways: I encourage my students to give me feedback regularly throughout the school year, as I value their input and respect their opinions. I am always willing to adjust my teaching to match their interests, incorporate their observations and address their difficulties, and I believe their learning experience as well as mine benefits from it.
Establishing such an atmosphere of trust and community is no easy task however, since it requires work inside the classroom, but also outside. As a result, I constantly strive to create engaging lesson plans, and often infuse them with activities developed outside the book. I make certain that grammar points, vocabulary words and cultural topics are addressed in accordance with the syllabus, but I also believe that students learn better once they see these concepts in context. For this reason, I use a wide variety of tools and media in my teaching, such as role-playing games and online activities, or music, film and literature. For example, I encouraged students to sing along to “Tête, épaule, genoux et pieds” and play a game of “Jacques a dit” when we learned vocabulary pertaining to the body. I also asked them to describe the smell and taste of apples I had brought to class when reading Philippe Delerm’s L’Odeur des Pommes. Similarly, I like to show scenes from Caro and Jeunet’s Delicatessen when talking about the future and the environment.
Respect is therefore at the core of my teaching style, and I constantly strive to motivate my students to be respectful of any difference, especially regarding other languages and cultures. I believe that in addition to learning the French language, my students are also able to develop open-mindedness, and I feel validated when I hear that one of them has gone on to travel – or even work – abroad. Then, if that country is part of La Francophonie, I feel like my teaching was even more successful.
I will always remember the way my tenth grade teacher put it: “You always catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” To me, this meant that respect and care could go much further than severity and rigidity, and I applied her philosophy to my everyday life, eventually becoming an instructor whose teaching style values such principles. Looking back at the saying today, I realize that my teacher may have been actually talking about herself, and incidentally drawing an analogy between my classmates and I, and a pack of irritating insects. However, I have since then taught an early morning Elementary French class to college freshmen, on a Friday, and therefore genuinely sympathize. Teaching can be a difficult task and students are not always motivated – which can quickly turn sour – but I am convinced that a “sweet”, or more precisely respectful, attitude can accomplish a lot.
However, I realized very quickly that respect is only the first step towards being a great professor. The instructors I admired were able to teach in a fluid and seamless fashion only because their lessons were the products of precise knowledge, careful planning, and a desire to educate. I have followed their example in my teaching, and value the hard work and creativity that go into a lesson plan. I always aim to find ways to involve my students and to keep them interested, all the while being approachable and patient. And just like my teacher implied with her reference to a small touch of honey, I have come to believe that the little things often make a big difference. For example, I like to arrive in class early and greet students individually, following up on stories they have shared with the class. I also like to incorporate visual components to my lessons, using technology or art, in order to vary my students’ experience in the classroom. But most importantly, I aim to create a respectful atmosphere that is favorable to learning. One of my most cherished recent evaluations highlights this fact: “the class had a comfortable atmosphere that made it extremely easy to learn and improve my language skills.”
Moreover, having a good rapport with students makes it easier to talk to them honestly, and discuss whether they are doing well in class or not. This in turn allows me to grade them fairly, and motivate them to always improve. In my opinion, a respectful attitude requires this high degree of honesty, which allows me to stay clear from babying my students. I believe in treating them like the adults they are in the process of becoming, therefore pushing them to be the best they can be. I feel most successful when my classes can be active participants in their own learning, and are able to monitor their progress. Additionally, this rapport of honesty goes both ways: I encourage my students to give me feedback regularly throughout the school year, as I value their input and respect their opinions. I am always willing to adjust my teaching to match their interests, incorporate their observations and address their difficulties, and I believe their learning experience as well as mine benefits from it.
Establishing such an atmosphere of trust and community is no easy task however, since it requires work inside the classroom, but also outside. As a result, I constantly strive to create engaging lesson plans, and often infuse them with activities developed outside the book. I make certain that grammar points, vocabulary words and cultural topics are addressed in accordance with the syllabus, but I also believe that students learn better once they see these concepts in context. For this reason, I use a wide variety of tools and media in my teaching, such as role-playing games and online activities, or music, film and literature. For example, I encouraged students to sing along to “Tête, épaule, genoux et pieds” and play a game of “Jacques a dit” when we learned vocabulary pertaining to the body. I also asked them to describe the smell and taste of apples I had brought to class when reading Philippe Delerm’s L’Odeur des Pommes. Similarly, I like to show scenes from Caro and Jeunet’s Delicatessen when talking about the future and the environment.
Respect is therefore at the core of my teaching style, and I constantly strive to motivate my students to be respectful of any difference, especially regarding other languages and cultures. I believe that in addition to learning the French language, my students are also able to develop open-mindedness, and I feel validated when I hear that one of them has gone on to travel – or even work – abroad. Then, if that country is part of La Francophonie, I feel like my teaching was even more successful.