Philosophy of Teaching

Learning is about making connections. As teachers, our most fundamental task is

to foster the kinds of social and academic connections that result in meaningful learning.
Connections between the student and the teacher, among students, and between students
experiences and content are critical to creating meaningful learning experiences.
Connections underlie almost every aspect of teaching and learning and as a result,
making meaningful connections defines my identity as a teacher.
Before students can use reading comprehension strategies, before they can engage
in inquiry-based learning, before they take learning risks, students need to have a
foundational relationship with their teacher. All people have a fundamental need to know
they are safe and cared for before they are able to work productively, which is why
forming teacher and student connections is critical. It may be as simple as noticing a
students interest or talking to a student about his or her family. These sorts of simple
connections help foster positive relationships among the teacher and students as well as a
caring learning environment. Investing in teacher-student connections is also beneficial
from an instructional standpoint because it can provide important knowledge for teachers
to consider as they differentiate learning based on student needs and interests.
Learning is socially constructed and reinforced. Students need to work through
the ideas they are engaging with through discussions with their peers. Cooperative
learning is an opportunity to connect and build on students own understanding by
engaging with their peers ideas about the same content. I believe it is critical to create a
learning environment that values respectful sharing of ideas and encouragement. An open
learning environment based on sharing and social construction of ideas can seem a bit
chaotic at times, but with appropriate structures there is also huge potential for student
growth.
The criticality of connecting new learning with existing knowledge should not be
underestimated. One of the most fascinating aspects of teaching is witnessing when
students light up because they make a connection with what they are learning.
Furthermore, it is commonly accepted that our brains process information through
making connections, which means that making connections between content and existing
knowledge is one of the most powerful tools for learning. All learning is part of a
connected web that transcends a thirty-minute time period allocated for a subject;
meaning that making connections is essential to creating lifelong learners.
As a teacher, I see my primary role as a connector. At times my job will be to
allow students to make connections with each other. At other times I will plan to make
connections between students existing understanding and new knowledge. Sometimes, I
will be challenged to connect with students who are difficult to understand in an effort to
help them believe they are capable of great things. A teacher has many roles in his or her
daily tasks, but none is quite so encompassing as their role as a connector of knowledge
and people.