Quality teaching
is not something achieved half-heartedly; it demands a considerable amount
of attention, passion, and most importantly, reflection. It is my belief
that a teacher must fully understand the importance of his or her actions
in the development and success of their students.
To begin, a teacher must create
a classroom in which respectful interactions are highly valued. While
the teacher is in the obvious authoritative position, I feel that the tone
of his or her interaction with a student should always be one of regard
and appreciation for that child’s worth. Correction is most effective
when put in the positive rather than the negative, for example explaining
to a child the desired behavior instead of scolding them for what they are
doing wrong.
As we tend to learn by example,
it is pertinent that a teacher demonstrates a passion for learning.
If children see the excitement present in the teacher at learning new things,
it will hopefully transfer into their perspective on learning. I
hope to be the type of teacher that invokes a sense of curiosity within
my students, discovering things along with them. It should be a goal
of our educational system to create independent learners. A teacher
should facilitate the child’s learning, taking them in the direction in
which they are interested in. Furthermore, I believe in a hands-on
approach to teaching, one that allows the student to gain a more personal
grasp and understanding of knowledge. Critical analysis of knowledge
is another important skill for students to develop, in hopes that children
may leave school having a greater sense of how knowledge is constructed
and may gain the ability to form their own views and beliefs. As a
result, a teacher must also be a thoughtful inquirer. How do we know
what we know? Where is our information coming from and might the source
alter its meaning? What right do we have to call our knowledge true?
Furthermore, I think educators
need not only to look at what is being taught, but also what is not being
taught. Prejudices, stereotypes, and specific religious beliefs are
sometimes, most often unintentionally, intermixed within school curriculum.
I feel that teaching can be a vehicle for minimizing the misconceptions
we have about one another and those who do not share a similar background.
I place influencing the student as a person and member of society as an important
goal of educations, more so than the transmission of factual knowledge.
Teacher’s can not only make a difference in his or her student’s lives but
also the world that we live in.
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