Teaching Philosophy
"An understanding heart is
everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back
with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who
touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but
warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child."
--Carl Jung
My desire to become a chemistry teacher was ignited as I was conducting research on the formation of the gender gap in science. As I discovered that science was a male dominated field, I found myself torn between pursuing my scientific interests, thus contesting the social construction which claims that science is a male dominated field, versus succumbing to such gender rules and dismissing a pursuit in the scientific arena. It was the idea of teaching that finally created equilibrium, as females are accepted as educators, and therefore I could pursue my scientific interests through a socially accepted outlet. In addition, teaching would not only allow me to indulge in my personal desire to be involved in the sciences, but would permit me to contribute to the quest of decreasing the gender gap in the science world. This is not to say that my teaching will be aimed toward the female students, but that it will attempt to equally affect all the students so that both males and females will recognize that they have a rightful place in the field of science.
The achievement of my goal of science equality, however, must be accomplished through my teaching strategies, as students are only able to acknowledge their position in the scientific spectrum once they gain confidence in their learned abilities. A key component in the process of gaining confidence is a source of motivation. Without motivation, many students will not have the stamina to keep up with lessons, nor the desire to learn information, and as a result these students may be unable to understand the material taught. Thus, understanding and confidence are directly connected, as one who does not understand will lack the confidence in their knowledge, while those who do understand are more likely to feel confidence in knowing the material. Therefore, in order to enhance students’ confidence in science, I must also serve as their motivator to all of my students.
One way to motivate, in addition to teach, is to make students aware that what they are learning has a useful significance. In the field of chemistry, practical implications consume our everyday lives, but often times are not recognized as examples of chemistry in action. Such examples are useful in teaching because they can assist in making ideas less abstract. In addition, by using examples, such as soap, fireworks, and foods, that students already are familiar with aids in building a framework for the lesson. Students are more likely to remember lessons that began with something that had prior knowledge of, rather than lessons that started with a concept they had never been exposed to before.
In addition to providing useful examples, a teacher should also begin each lesson with a review of what was learned the previous day. In chemistry, advanced ideas and concepts escalate from fundamental ones, and therefore, it is vital to remember the basic ideas learned. By reviewing, a teacher not only reinforces a previously taught idea, but also causes students to get their memory and mind working at the start of class. The activation and use of memories creates a basis for mental framework, much like realistic examples, to which the impending lesson can build upon. The remaining aspects of the mental framework, however, should not be left to be filled in by the student alone, as students may miss important information if the teacher does not provide proper cues. Thus, a teacher should aid the students in completing the framework, by means such as previewing the lesson in order to give students an idea of what is to come. Students can then add an outline of the lesson to their basic framework, which can then be filled in during the day’s lesson.
It is important, though, for students not to simply memorize the mental outline that is created during a lesson. In chemistry, memorization often hinders a student’s ability to realize connections between ideas. While lecturing may be the best way to present some material, the use of lecturing in my classroom will not be used in excess, as it does not allow students to learn and discover concepts on their own. When students discover connections on their own, or in groups, they are more likely to remember their own findings rather than findings that were lectured to them and then memorized. Therefore, in order to decrease the use of memorization, I will use tactics, such as group work and individual exercises, which will foster critical thinking and problem solving among students so that they have a more likely chance of realizing common links between topics. For example, students will participate in laboratory work, in which they can examine and interpret observations and data in order to formulate conclusions. Furthermore, activities done in groups will precede individual exercises so that students have an opportunity to learn from one another and gain confidence in solving problems or completing a laboratory exercise.
Once students have the opportunity to work with their peers, they will then be assessed individually. Assessments can vary from having students demonstrate proper laboratory techniques to solving problems similar to ones they worked on within groups. Poor assessments, however, may not indicate that the students are not putting forth enough effort. Instead, it may be that the teaching strategies utilized were not compatible with some, or all, of the students. Thus, it is important for the teacher to seek feedback from the students on how well a lesson conveyed the material. If the teacher works in conjunction with the students, success is likely to result; and if success results, then students will feel as though they have a rightful place in the world of science.