Journal Entry #2: My Teaching Philosophy

         As a student who aspires to be a teacher, I want to exude the qualities I expect from my instructors if I continue my pedagogical career. I want a fun, engaging teaching style, a compassionate yet just demeanor, and technical competency. What I love most about my teachers is how engaging they are in class and how much information I learn from that class; hence, I want my students to remember me by my unique teaching style. I also wish to be a benevolent instructor, such that I will not be a tyrant who churns students so hard that they end up hating me, but I also want to be just such that they will respect my boundaries. I also want to be technologically competent to use relevant computer applications for effective instruction. 

        I want my students to learn to think, exemplified by the “Learning to Know” pillar. I want them to be able to teach them how to think critically in solving problems. I want them to be able to apply theoretical information to practical, real-life situations. Aside from that, I want to help them develop a balanced character vis-a-vis to exude virtues like kindness, humility, temperance, and diligence. I want them to create a high sense of self-esteem moderated by modesty. This strategy would aim to fill the pillar “Learning to Be.” 

        I stand by the benefits of instituting idealism and pragmatism in the academic setting. Idealism is about being able to formulate meaningful conjecture and hypotheses using critical-thinking skills as well as the Socratic method. Pragmatism then utilizes the scientific method and experiments on ideas on how they can be beneficial for society. When these two philosophies are combined, the result would be a holistic student who questions what others may consider as fact and investigates whether the pieces of evidence behind that fact are valid.

      I divided my strategy into two parts: the Theoretical Aspect and the Applied Aspect. Aligning with the abovementioned philosophies, my classes would start with active lecturing. I would first discuss a subject’s history, description, and examples for the Theoretical Aspect. After that, I will present questions that engage the students’ minds. Moving on to the Applied Aspect, I will give a simulation that would place them in a situation that requires them to use what they have learned from the theoretical aspect. I will compel them to use their critical-thinking skills. After that, I would give them two questions, one objective and the other subjective. Through this, I can help improve their methodical and creative thought processes.

   Having objective and subjective parts of an assessment is crucial. The objective portion of the evaluation would test their understanding of the topic and compel them to use deductive and inductive reasoning skills. I will grade this portion of the exam objectively. On the other hand, the subjective part of the assessment is then focused on one or more questions that would open their minds. They then will be obliged to use their creativity and critical-thinking skills. This aspect of the exam will still be graded. I will give them a perfect score given that the students will follow a particular set of rules, such as writing no more than five sentences and presenting the topic’s main idea, among others.

  I will teach a subject related to Psychology; hence, I will teach either social sciences, psychobiological sciences, or values education. With this, students should understand how the human mind functions within the body and in conjunction with society. In these specific disciplines, students would need help with the validity of one topic, as Psychology has differing schools of thought. They may be able to relate to one topic and then completely repulsed by another. The key here is helping them understand that people have different experiences from one another, and one must accept those unique characteristics to be able to plot out much information in psychological cartography. That would entail having an activity that compels them to interview each other on matters relating to their respective provinces of mind.

     Although I know much about how teachers should behave in the classroom, it is crucial that I also listen to the responses of my future students to adapt to their respective needs. This situation means that I would be a teacher and a student learning from my students. Firstly, I would have to develop an open mind to not harbor any grievances towards my students. Then, I will ask them head-on whether they have any qualms regarding my teaching style while reassuring them that there would be no retaliation if something potentially painful is said. I will heed their advice and give myself a set of reasonable and attainable steps in improving the characteristics the students would want to change about my teaching style. Through this, I will be able to adapt to the needs of my students.