Teaching Philosophy Revised

Steve's post had some very spefic details and I think he does a good job at explaining why he would use some of these practices. I agree with the use of providing notes but leaving students to take part in the work of note taking. The instructor is providing you with a guidline to follow. I think this corelates nicely with his use of the Jazz band metaphopor. I'd like to elaborate on that a little. Without the director, there may still be music being played but it would unorganized and messy, it would interfere with another musician's playing, or it may be absent all together. With the director, the sheet music is explained and practiced. The result is people playing music that is complete, correct, and moving. A good teaching is just like a good band director. They will result in a beautiful product, as opposed to just making it through to the end of the song.


Jody made a good point when she recognized that a student must learn the facts before he/she can be pushed to carry that knowledge on. Yes, we may want a class that every period is unique and exciting, but these new activities musn't hinder the essential task of developing a students framework of knowledge. If this means having a lecture with a lot of talking, you might just have to talk for 38 minutes out of 50 to effectively get your point across.


Alberto mentioned something that I think a lot of us have overlooked. Be dedicated and enjoy what you do. If an instructor is giving off the vibe that they don't really want to be here, then the students will amplify that feeling even more. Being excited about what your teaching will help you get them excited about what they are learning. Dedication is deffinatly another thing that will create a postitive learning envrionment. Without dedication, your surely not going to reach as many students and you could. I'd like to believe that we are dedicated to becoming good teachers and courses such as this will keep teachers motiviaded and dedicated to strive to be better. Teachers should be continually working towards a better way to teach but motivation is key.


I feel as though my teaching philosophy needed to be a little more specific. Examples of note-styles, lecture formats, and exam layouts will provide a better picture as of how I will try to have an adaptive learning environment.