Understanding

the Big Picture - My Teaching Philosophy - by Jeff Williams: 20011255

I love the theatre. I love the very nature of performance. With fondness, I can remember my fifth
grade teacher, Mrs. Last, who read to us aloud the story, A Wrinkle In Time. Although my parents
read to my sisters and I from a very young age, this is the first time I can remember a story coming
alive as it was being told. Mrs. Last did this in such a way as to captivate her students. I later
learned this is called engaging the audience. Now, an adult, Ive come to learn about my own
abilities to captivate an audience. Something many others dread, I relish. Speaking to an audience,
be it to a small classroom or a huge auditorium, I am in my element when addressing a crowd. I
believe this ability/love doesnt completely prepare me to teach (nor does it preclude others who
lack it) but it does arm me, I believe, with a necessary component to be an effective
teacher/educator.

The irony of the dictum, no student left behind, as mused by Sir Ken Robinson, is not lost on my
understanding of the challenges currently plaguing the prevailing education system in Ontario.
Although he was focusing on the American education system when sarcastically changing the
slogan to, millions of children left behind, he might as well be have been talking about Canada too.
I will, no doubt, refine my beliefs concerning my teaching philosophy as my Queens experience
unfolds, but I can say, with a great degree of certainty, that fostering an environment of trust,
creativity and possibility, in order to encourage growth and learning within my classroom, will be
the foundation on which I teach. I will also endeavour to redefine the boundaries of my classroom,
encouraging students to continue their learning when outside of the walls of school- instilling the
understanding that learning is a lifelong process.

There is a distinct difference between learning and memorization. It will be my personal mission,
however challenging -given the breadth of the curriculum- to help my students UNDERSTAND what
is being taught, rather than simply memorizing information for assessment, by exploring the depth
of the subjects we cover together. Under my watch, students will understand concepts so that they
may apply them in a variety of situations, rather than memorizing steps to solve a particular
problem by wrote.

During my own time as a student, I remember there being a distinct differentiation between
teachers and students. Most of my time in class was spent being talked at, rather than being
engaged in conversation. Although I understand that being a friend to my students isnt necessarily
the best way to guide their learning, I am convinced that being friendly will go a long way to
engaging my students and earning their respect. Cultivating an environment where the students
feel safe to explore their own ideas, rather than dictating to them what I feel they should know, will
be my daily mission. I strongly believe that students (and people in general for that matter) dont
care how much we know, until they know how much we care. I will encourage students to find a
personal method to understand and retain concepts, and assist them by providing my own
customized examples for solutions to concepts that puzzle or inspire them.

Finally, students deserve respect. There must be a mutual respect between my students and me. I
will strive to earn their respect in a variety of ways, given that respect cannot simply be awarded. I
will take a genuine interest in their well-being and engage with them on professional and social
levels. I am convinced that social interaction with students outside of school develops a rapport that
translates into an enhanced dynamic within the classroom. By being the teacher I wanted as a
student, I believe I will be the teacher my students need and deserve - a teacher Mrs. Last will be
proud of.