What is a teaching philosophy? More importantly, why do I need one? In fact, why in the world do I care?
The way I teach determines if I am the right fit for you as a student.
And, I am not for everybody.
I am not your average teacher. This is not a side-eye to other professors or teachers. They are not your average teacher either. In fact, the philosophy of every teacher is individual.
And not every teacher is right for you. Remember, we are only guides to help you learn this thing called English, and life. That’s it.
However, we all have our little quirks, likes, dislikes, and philosophies.
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This is how it goes down with me:
Everyone should be treated equally and cared for deeply but have absolutely no emotional attachment to the grading process.
Old school is the way I roll. I don’t believe technology is the best thing in the world. Yes, I realize this irony; however, technology has done some horrifying things to our students. It has helped remove the imagination and the creative process. Students forgot how to be resourceful. Let’s not forget that it creates a huge distraction.
There. I said it.
In my classes, I have banned smart phones, computers, and other technology.
I believe that to improve with writing, and a student must practice writing. This means writing every day. I assign a ton of homework, not because I like to burden the students, but because I want them to practice. This is the only way a student can get better at writing.
Our brains are like a computer. The more you practice at something the stronger you get.
I believe the world judges you on three things: the way you look, the way you talk, and the way you write.
Allow me to be perfectly blunt here. I have absolutely no interest in how you look, or how you talk. I only care about how you write. And in order to get a job, you must realize that writing skills are a must.
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Writing is an art form.
It is a way to express yourself, discover yourself, and embrace yourself. However, like most things in life, one must know the structure and the rules. Those rules are kind of important. Once those rules are understood, then it becomes a blast!
In my classroom, I expect the students to become a bit of a dysfunctional family. The idea of a family helps them learn networking skills, and assists in obtaining a support system.
I personally am not one to believe that writing is neither solitary, nor collaborative.It is a mixture! Both approaches are incredibly helpful to the writer and the student.
Writing is more about taking the abstract and making it more concrete. The way to do this is through using various techniques. This can be done through:
- Reading
- Writing
- Improvising
- Music
- Through your five senses
- Interviews
- Movies
- Television
- Basic observations.
The art of writing is a wonderful and magical world that has taken down kingdoms, instigate the old world order, and embrace positive change.
Writing is so much more than just a bunch of words on a page.
It can be the single most powerful tool you have.
My philosophy on writing is rather simple:
All I have to do is give you a pen. You can create your own world of exploration. You can achieve every dream you believe in.
