My Teaching Philosophy for an ESL Classroom
As a future teacher of students who will be taking English as a second language, I have developed ideas of what I hope to achieve within my classroom. Education is where I can make the biggest impact of helping others out, so I want my students to know they are in a safe and supportive environment where they are able to learn and grow. I want my students to be able to express their own ideas and be able to participate in their educational experience. Not having yet been in an ESL classroom, I can only write what techniques I plan to use and would hope to work in the future. This document is used to demonstrate my philosophy of teaching, and by using the previously stated criteria, it can be referred to as a guide for my future performance in the classroom.
Student identity and background is a very important aspect in the classroom. Being aware of this, I plan to encourage my students to use their diverse backgrounds and culture when discussing class material, helping them to know the classroom is a space where they can contribute to their education. By having students incorporate their diverse backgrounds, it helps me as a teacher to learn more about the students on an individual basis and shows the students they are valued and will enjoy the experience of participating in the classroom.
My approach to teaching English as a second language relies on giving students the tools to know how to learn and eventually leading to learning on their own. One of the best ways to do this is by showing students the available resources that can be used in an educational context, opposed to only using what is given through lecture and class materials. Knowing the availability of these resources, students will be able to excel in other content areas as well.
Another approach I would take is giving the students the responsibility of being prepared to participate in class. By asking questions based on relative content and redirecting either a question or answer to other students, they will learn that being prepared is an important facet of the classroom. Using active learning techniques such as this one, students will learn to be in charge of their own education.
My overall goal is to have a classroom that is focused on a student-centered learning environment rather than students passively learning through a teacher-centered environment. My philosophy describes ways in which I plan to achieve a student-centered classroom and make learning active and motivating for all students. Finally, my philosophy shows that I want to provide my students with quality instruction that is inspiring, motivating and supportive of their educational needs.
