Philosophy of Teaching
By: Erin Hall
I believe that effective teaching is teaching that allows various learners to actively engage with content in multiple ways. An effective teacher creates a classroom environment that motivates students to learn using technology and allows them to respond in ways that reach far beyond the traditional methods of assessment. Diverse, differentiated teaching methods foster the type of thinking that will allow students to not only master the content of that particular course, but to think actively and critically in an ever changing world. This means students talk, question, search, collect, analyze, and synthesize in ways that put them in control of their learning. Good teachers don’t just deliver content; they empower their students to think for themselves.
This type of effective classroom might look chaotic to the uninitiated, but to the careful observer, the movement and sound will reveal true learning. The teacher won’t be merely talking to the students and expecting them to remember. Students will be undertaking shorter tasks and inquiries that will, with guidance, move them toward the type of deep thinking and content mastery that will serve them best as they grow and mature intellectually. The teacher will provide fresh approaches to the content, and ideally, various learners will be able to learn in the way that suits them best. Assessment will be formative and supportive for the majority of the time, and culminating activities and assessments will allow the student to respond and show learning in various ways.