What is my teaching philosophy…wow, that’s a daunting question. Because teaching is not my first profession, and I came to be a teacher through a non-traditional way, this is not a topic that I have spent a lot of time reflecting on like most teachers. I can only answer that question from where I am right now as a teacher. I absolutely love what I do and feel it is a privilege to help lead my students toward their ultimate goal of becoming active members of the Health Care community.
First, I believe that every student can learn. It is up to me as a teacher to find out how they learn the best. As a teacher I need to have high expectations for my students so they have somewhere to reach. I need to make sure that every student has what they need in order to be successful in my classroom, and sometimes I have to help them realize what they need.
Second, I have to care about my students. Not just about their learning, but about them as people. I have to find out what makes them tick, what they are dealing with, what their dreams are. My students must really know that I care about them. Successful teachers build and nurture relationships with their students.
Third, I have to make the content I am teaching relevant to my students. My students need to see themselves in the curriculum; they need to be able to connect with the content. Everyone needs to feel they are a part of something in order for them to work toward the end result, knowledge and growth!
Fourth, students must be able to apply the knowledge they acquire in order for the real learning to take place. It’s not enough to know something, which can be accomplished by sheer memorization. Students need to really understand what they know. How can they apply this new knowledge to others areas of learning? For example, I teach High School students how to be Nursing Assistants. Is it enough for them to know how to take a blood pressure? NO! They must understand why we take blood pressure and what they are actually measuring. What would they do if the blood pressure reading was abnormally high? What is high blood pressure, what’s happening inside the body? What might the patient be experiencing if their blood pressure was abnormally low? This connection is when students have really learned something. As a teacher, I must find out how my students can make this connection.
Lastly, I have to be passionate about what I am teaching, even if my students may not be. In the end, my students should be just as passionate about the content, or I haven’t done my job.
Being a teacher is a privilege that holds a lot of power and responsibility. Students have the right to learn in a safe and stimulating environment from a teacher that cares about them, and holds them accountable for their learning and educational journey. Be bold, be brave, be truthful, but above all else, be the teacher your students deserve.
