My Philosophy Of Teaching
From a young age, my passion for writing and my desire to inspire growth in others have driven me to teach English, aiming to cultivate skilled, reflective writers who embrace new challenges and express their unique voices.
I have been a writer since I wrote my first poem at nine for an Easter program. I discovered that I had a talent for capturing an audience when I was in high school in a Creative Writing class. I was the only student to whom the class and the teacher paid attention as I presented my story out loud. These two events sealed my love of writing. In college, I liked helping students with their writing assignments. It was then that I realized I wanted to see students grow and achieve the personal writing goals they set for themselves. I discovered that I wanted to see a student find that they could express themselves effectively and realize that they were a writer. This is why I want to teach English.
I want my students to know I am a writer and a writer is teaching them. I want my students to know I sometimes struggle with writing and have had to work through a writing task. I want them to know that I get writer’s block, don’t feel like writing at times, and sometimes dislike the tasks I have been assigned. Most importantly, I want to teach my students that they can be better writers by writing more. If your students know that you have experienced what they are experiencing, they will believe in you more and be more willing to hear what you say.
I was a pre-k teacher in the Lewisville ISD. One of the most important things I tried to do with my students was to encourage them to try new things, whether it was learning a new letter, using a color other than their favorite color, or playing in a different center. As the students tried new things, I could teach them a new skill or lesson. My greatest joy was when they realized they had learned something new or accomplished something they did not think they could. I want to achieve this as an English teacher, encouraging students to try new things and discover that they learned a new writing skill.
I want students to learn to be active readers and critical thinkers. I would also like them to learn to be better writers who can reflect on a topic, research a topic, plan, structure, and outline an essay, report, or creative writing assignment, and then draft, revise, and edit their writing effectively.
To be a better writer, you must be a reader. Reading affects writing, and writing affects reading. When students read significantly, they become better writers. Reading a variety of genres helps students learn writing structure and language that they can use in their writing. Writing essays, reports, or other assignments is what a college student will do for the rest of their college and most of their professional careers. I will be laying a foundation for their future in my class, so I must show them how to be better writers by teaching them skills they can use for the rest of their lives. These objectives remain the same for all courses that I teach. For varying levels of writing courses or backgrounds of the students, I would change the teaching methods I use to suit the class best; for example, in a junior or senior class, they may not need as much instruction on how to research a topic, so I would not teach as much on this subject as I would in a first- or second-year class.
I want my students to know I am a writer and a writer is teaching them. I want my students to know I sometimes struggle with writing and have had to work through a writing task. I want them to know that I get writer’s block, don’t feel like writing at times, and sometimes dislike the tasks I have been assigned. Most importantly, I want to teach my students that they can be better writers by writing more. If your students know that you have experienced what they are experiencing, they will believe in you more and be more willing to hear what you say.
I was a pre-k teacher in the Lewisville ISD. One of the most important things I tried to do with my students was to encourage them to try new things, whether it was learning a new letter, using a color other than their favorite color, or playing in a different center. As the students tried new things, I could teach them a new skill or lesson. My greatest joy was when they realized they had learned something new or accomplished something they did not think they could. I want to achieve this as an English teacher, encouraging students to try new things and discover that they learned a new writing skill.
I want students to learn to be active readers and critical thinkers. I would also like them to learn to be better writers who can reflect on a topic, research a topic, plan, structure, and outline an essay, report, or creative writing assignment, and then draft, revise, and edit their writing effectively.
To be a better writer, you must be a reader. Reading affects writing, and writing affects reading. When students read significantly, they become better writers. Reading a variety of genres helps students learn writing structure and language that they can use in their writing. Writing essays, reports, or other assignments is what a college student will do for the rest of their college and most of their professional careers. I will be laying a foundation for their future in my class, so I must show them how to be better writers by teaching them skills they can use for the rest of their lives. These objectives remain the same for all courses that I teach. For varying levels of writing courses or backgrounds of the students, I would change the teaching methods I use to suit the class best; for example, in a junior or senior class, they may not need as much instruction on how to research a topic, so I would not teach as much on this subject as I would in a first- or second-year class.
Deartra D. Boone
While most students may never develop a love of writing as I have, I hope that when they leave my class, they have developed and refined their writing skills and style. I want my students to love discovering new things, ideas, and facts and then create a desire to share these discoveries and ideas with others through writing. I also want them to understand writing and grammar concepts and how to use them in their writing.
I use lectures, group discussions, and peer reviews in the classroom. By working together, students will learn from me and each other and see the value of their opinions to others. I use a variety of assignments and assessments to help students become better writers. Some assignments I use are Literacy/Personal Narratives, essays, journals, and grammar exercises. Some assessment tools I use are grading rubrics, peer review, and writing checklists.
I know that students learn differently. I encourage students to ask for help if needed, and I suggest that the students use the university writing center. I also recommend extra credit assignments for students who need additional help with a subject or skill. I am always available for one-on-one conferences if the students need them.
I realize that most students these days are computer savvy. I use a variety of technologies in my classes. I use PowerPoint presentations, applications such as Blogger, discussion boards, video presentations, and technologies offered by the university. I ask my students for their opinions on the course, the materials used, and what helped them the most through a form to get feedback regarding the course and my teaching of the course.
I know that students learn differently. I encourage students to ask for help if needed, and I suggest that the students use the university writing center. I also recommend extra credit assignments for students who need additional help with a subject or skill. I am always available for one-on-one conferences if the students need them.
I realize that most students these days are computer savvy. I use a variety of technologies in my classes. I use PowerPoint presentations, applications such as Blogger, discussion boards, video presentations, and technologies offered by the university. I ask my students for their opinions on the course, the materials used, and what helped them the most through a form to get feedback regarding the course and my teaching of the course.
