Teaching Statement
Teaching was never something I thought about. My goal was to obtain a degree in computer science but that soon ended. The love for computers was there but in a different field. I never saw myself becoming a teacher, but it was something I was always drawn to. One of my favorite teachers in high school, Barbara Roberts, saw it in me. My senior year, she said that if I became a teacher I could take her spot when she retired. Years later I visited her and told her I became a teacher. She said she was retiring, and the offer was still up for grabs.
As a teacher, I want to share my knowledge with others. Just like my teacher, I want to help students see what I could not see. I want students to gain a passion for learning, no matter what their career may be. I want them to gain an understanding of real-world applications and encourage them to pursue a career in something they will be passionate about as I did by many great teachers in my life.
I have found teaching to be essential in my life. I have been able to teach and learn at the same time. Each class I have taught came with new experiences. As a teacher you never stop learning just like your students. In my case, the world of technology changes rapidly and I must keep up to date. Even the way I teach changes from semester to semester. A single class can have a wide range of special needs for each student that must be met. Not every student learns the same way and therefore you must challenge yourself to teach in a way all students can understand.
With that in mind, to become an effective teacher requires you to create an engaging environment with a flexibility to meet students’ needs. I encourage students to have a positive attitude and respect for each other. In my classroom students are a team. As a team, they all must be able to work and support each other. This will create an engaging environment where any student can freely ask questions and receive positive feedback. The idea is for students to learn how to network, communicate, express themselves, and become great leaders.
An important part of effective teaching is being prepared. I dedicate a lot of time in course preparation and planning. Since I have a diversified group of students, I provide different ways to learn. I spent time creating step-by-step lessons, videos, looking for new ideas to improve student engagement, and additional materials to help students grasp and apply what they have learned.
My teaching philosophy has evolved over the years. The teaching style that I know follow has been the recollection of many years of teaching and learning. Learning is never ending and as such I hope to keep learning and improving as a teacher. Teaching is something that I am passionate about and hope to make and keep making a difference in students’ lives.