A Personal Philosophy on Teaching

Education is empowerment, the entire educative cycle revolves around the concept of giving or transferring power and bringing out the best in the human person. I trust that the process of transforming learners into productive, peace-loving and responsible individuals lies in the hand of the teacher. However, the teacher cannot possibly mold her students into the ideal state that she envisions them to be if and when she is not empowered herself. Teachers can give only what they have.

Hence, education is never an easy job; it is a never-ending endeavor and truly a lifelong process. No one should ever stop from being educated and no one must miss the opportunity to educate – from womb to tomb.

As a college instructor in one of the premier universities in the country today, I am deeply grateful for the golden opportunity given to me to be part of this challenging yet exciting process.

The educative process is taxing but exhilarating for both the teacher and the learner. This is especially true in the collegiate level. The demands range from the plain commitment to attend classes to the rigorous struggle of beating deadlines. However, the rewards are plenty and are more noteworthy than all the demands combined. Success in education is always the sweetest when it is derived from hard work, patience and dedication.

I have the firm belief that college is not a stepping stone for life, but it is already life in itself. For students to appreciate this concept, teachers should strive to make their classrooms attain an atmosphere of positive interactions, constructive evaluations and real-life demonstrations. When students already understand that what they are doing inside the classroom are actually the things that they will do in their respective workplaces in the future, their motivations will become intrinsic and their performances will turn out exceptional.

I acknowledge the need to identify and achieve outcomes in the teaching and learning practice. This goes without saying that teachers should facilitate and push the limits for the eventual attainment of the results on the part of the students. These outcomes can only be achieved, however, when these are properly communicated to students — that teachers should do so constantly. In order to achieve outcomes, monitoring and assessing are crucial.

I value student-centeredness in the classroom. This does not mean that teachers no longer play a pivotal role. In fact, it is for us to ensure that students are motivated and engaged in the learning process. My notion of student-centeredness is about the achievement of students of the desired outcomes and their capability to demonstrate such outcomes. Because students are at the center of the teaching and learning process, they should know how to think independently and critically, to identify and solve problems effectively and efficiently, and to discover and generate knowledge successfully.

I have realized, even so, that the desired outcomes can only be achieved when teachers employ strategies or techniques that are proven and tested. This does not imply, however, that teachers cannot experiment and innovate in their teaching practices. Whatever I utilize in my classroom, I just always make sure that students are at the core; that they experience the learning themselves. I am not afraid to proclaim to the world that I am a passionate devotee of John Dewey.

My progressivist approach to education may seem unorthodox to many but we know that society is always progressive and so is education. I have accepted the truth that teachers are not the only source of knowledge, skills and attitudes for students. The world in its entirety is a humongous show window for the acquisition of competence. In fact, there are times when students themselves are the ones actively creating knowledge and the ones educating their teachers. The link between theory and practice of liberation pedagogy is established here and now.

When it comes to assessment of learning, I am still affected by my progressive mind. Apart from the written examinations which come periodically, I have given profound trust to performance-based assessments which for me is more authentic. I take time preparing and explaining the rubric I am suppose to use for each activity that I have in the classroom. Students can also assess their own learning experiences and this I can determine through the journals/ learning logs that they write.

Through a personal narrative of their classroom experiences, students can express themselves and reflect upon their strengths and weaknesses as learners. A higher form of learning – metacognition – students can make a sense of their own sense of learning. The journals they write also present an opportunity for me to evaluate my own teaching endeavors. Although, it cannot be wholly trusted but it can always make teaching-learning activities a personal undertaking for both the educator and the student. I am also always humbled and honored at the same time when my colleagues in the academe would express their appreciation of my instructional delivery, encompassing the strengths as well as the areas for improvement.

There is so much to learn from the wisdom of the seasoned educators and I am fortunate enough to have been mentored and to have been in constant consultation with them. I am also delighted by the dynamism and novelty of the young teachers surrounding me who inspire me to a great extent. With their presence, I am sure I will continually improve my craft and advance my career. These brilliant individuals, definitely, will be instrumental in my professional and personal success.

As a young educator, I am extremely privileged to be part of an ever-growing university that provides me an avenue where I can fully unleash my potentials as a person and as a professional. I am tremendously content with the many an opportunity given me to empower myself and to be a source of empowerment for others. To be sure, I am in a university where education is intended for all and where learning makes everyone empowered – the true essence of democratizing education.