Tom McGrann
CEE 588
Dr. Lindblom
September 8, 2004
My teaching philosophy
Throughout my academic work in junior high and high school, English was always my favorite subject. Most people assumed that when I decided to major in English in college, that my ultimate goal was to become an English teacher. However, I thought of a Bachelor of Arts degree in English more of as a “means to an end” and that it would prepare me for future studies in law school. As I experienced life in the legal industry, I found that each day seemed to be rather uneventful. I eventually came to the conclusion that I needed to choose a career that would give me a greater sense of fulfillment and pride.
Every day teachers face long hours, difficult students, even more difficult parents, and sometimes outdated curricula. However, each new day also brings a teacher the hope of truly connecting with their students. With each new year, a teacher is able to see their students initial reactions and hear their feelings as they read different works of literature for the first time. In a sense, a teacher is able to live vicariously through their students. There are few professions that could offer such exceptional rewards at the end of each day.
When I am finally teaching, I am sure that I will have many goals for my students. I would want my students to walk away from my classroom with the critical thinking skills that are often developed in English classes. I would want them to be able to read a piece of literature on their own and for them to be able to identify theme, style and symbolism. I would also want them to have a greater respect for the different ways that artists can express themselves. Hopefully, the time that I spend with my students could also include class time that was devoted to exploring other types of media. Aside from literature, I would say that I have also been greatly influenced by music and film. I have often heard about teachers who are happy teaching their students the bare minimum that they need to pass the class. I feel that if a teacher only teaches their students “what they need to pass my class” that they are shortchanging both their students and themselves. Most importantly, I want my students to always be searching for knowledge while they are in and once they eventually leave my classroom.
In my experience as a student, I have seen a variety of teaching styles. The teachers that have made the most lasting memories have been those that were always willing to try new ways to get their classes motivated. I’ve found that teachers who adopt only one style of teaching seem to lose their students’ interest rather quickly. Ideally, I feel that a teacher should be able to be flexible and adapt their lesson plans for a variety of styles of instruction. Lecture is necessary for some topics, but it should not be the only method. They should always be open to suggestions both from their fellow and sister teachers and from their students themselves. Education is a process that is ongoing and that is something that every teacher and student should be aware of. A teacher should be patient, kind, flexible, dedicated to their students and happiest when they themselves are learning something new.
I suppose that every person that decides to choose teaching as a career often has a rather idealized view of how they will function as a teacher. Images of smiling students, all gazing up at them with attentive eyes, anxious to hear what their teacher has to say next would probably be commonplace in these imaginary classrooms. In my first two weeks as a pre-service teaching student, I’ve learned that this is far from how an actual classroom will function. A teacher should always enter a classroom with the best intentions, but they must also bring with them the understanding that things will not always go as smoothly as they had planned.
During my senior year of college, I was fortunate enough to take three film analysis courses with one of my favorite professors, Dr. James Ruff. The classes’ main objectives were to teach students various concepts of literary study- character, symbol, plot, theme, etc. – and analyze film as a form of narrative structure. Each week the class would gather together and watch a particular film in preparation for a group assignment that would have to be given on the following class session. Since I preferred to get such a large project complete at the very beginning of the semester, I signed up for the second week’s film, which was Bonnie and Clyde from 1967. I assumed that there would at least be two other students who were as eager as myself to finish their assignment early.
However, as the class drew to a close, I soon discovered that I was the only person who signed up for a group presentation the next week. Group presentations involved essentially running the class for an hour and twenty minutes. Dr. Ruff would relinquish his role as group leader and sit among the class. Students were required to give some background information on the film, go over some themes and show some clips from the film. However, the main purpose of the presentation was to try and elicit a discussion with the other members of the class. I must admit that even though I was a senior in college, I still felt my heart race a little faster and my knees begin to shake when I thought of standing in the room and giving an oral presentation for ten minutes. I initially was not able to comprehend the idea of attempting to run a class for eighty minutes.
I met with Dr. Ruff and explained some of my fears to him. He simply smiled and told me that he had confidence in my abilities to lead the class. I was fortunate enough to have already taken a film class with him during the previous semester, so I had some idea of what Dr. Ruff expected from me. I tried my best to prepare for my presentation. I outlined the major topics that I wanted to discuss with the class and I also found the exact clips that I wanted to replay for the classes benefit. I also tried to develop some questions that I would through out to the class as I worked through my presentation. The day finally arrived and I was somehow able to lead the class as we shared our thoughts and feelings about Bonnie and Clyde. Through my own preparation and to a greater extent through Dr. Ruff’s own confidence in my abilities, I successfully lived through my first “teaching” experience.
This anecdote that I have mentioned did not turn me into a person who is completely self-confident regarding my teaching abilities. As of this very day, the thought of standing in a room with thirty pairs of eyes looking to me for guidance or instruction still terrifies me to some extent. However, my solo “group presentation” was still influential in my ultimate decision to return to school to become certified to become a secondary teacher. In the years that have passed since I gave my solo group presentation, I have often spent a lot of time thinking about that class and Dr. Ruff in general. The great teachers that I have had in my life as a student have made it seem easy to stand in front of a class and try to lead class discussions. I have come to the understanding that leading a class is far from an easy task and it requires great preparation and skill. One day, when I am old and gray and more confident in my abilities as a teacher, I am sure that I will still reflect upon the experiences that I had in Dr. Ruff’s classroom. Further, when my students are required to give an oral presentation or a group presentation, I would love to be able to tell my own stories about how I tried to deal with my own fears and insecurities as a student. I believe that this sharing of some information from my past would be helpful in connecting with my students and relating on a more personal level with them. I want my students to understand that education is a process that involves someone continually growing both as a person and as a student and facing new challenges with each new day.
I feel that if a person decides to spend their life, fully committed to choosing a career that involves something that they care about very much, that they will never actually have another day of “work” in their life. I have decided to become a teacher in order to attempt to pass on my love of literature to my students and also to pay some small tribute to my father.