My Teaching Philosophy

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My teaching career began in graduate school when I was awarded an assistantship that allowed me to teach composition classes at my university. Over the past five years, I have continued to teach English classes at the university level, and I have also taught creative writing classes to adults with literacy problems. Last year, working at a primary school in Toledo, I had my first experience teaching children and non-native English speakers. This year, at an IES in Madrid, I am working with older students.

My background has allowed me to work with many different types of learners and as a result, I have evolved as a teacher. Some of my perspectives have shifted and others have solidified as a result of my experiences within different educational settings. I am not the most outwardly enthusiastic teacher, nor am I the most well-spoken person. This is something that used to impact my confidence and worry me. However, I have realized that simply encouraging and being respectful of my students keeps them engaged. This is one of my primary concerns when I am in the classroom: Do my students feel respected and comfortable sharing their thoughts? And I find that often, in order to receive respect, one simply has to give it.

In any classroom setting, I see my role as that of a facilitator of learning. I am there to bring information to students and ask questions that will help them integrate it or determine what they think about it. I never see myself as an ultimate authority who has all the answers—even when it comes to my native language. I like to remind my students that I often encounter new words in English even though I’ve been speaking it my entire life.

I think the expectation of perfection is often paralyzing to students, and creating a comfortable environment where they are free to make mistakes helps give them the confidence to express themselves in English. I also try to be the best listener I can be and remain interested in what my students say. Having a familiar face in the classroom that cares about their thoughts and interests goes a very long way toward motivating students to speak English.