Philosophy of Teaching Statement

The task of every teacher is to increase the knowledge and understanding of every student in the classroom. As a teacher, I need to encourage independent thought and provide group interactions as an outlet for my students' ideas. Being able to form unique, independent ideas to solve problems will serve them both in and out of the classroom. Providing an environment to share ideas, and to work as a team member, is an important process in social and mental development.

The teacher must have a clear set of objectives, with specific goals for students. Learning through active participation of the learner is an important element in the learning process. The student will learn more if they are an important and active part of the process. Students need to feel comfortable approaching their teacher for discussion in and out of the classroom. Students react positively when they are treated with respect, as mature, capable individuals. I must appear to be knowledgeable, but also approachable. The most successful classes are those where the students bond as a group and become very active players in the learning process. Students will develop an interest in the subject area or, at the very least, develop an appreciation for the subject and the material being taught.

My main goal as a teacher is to foster automaticity. Automaticity is the ability to effortlessly complete tasks with low interference of other simultaneous activities and without conscious thought throughout the step-by-step process. Mastery of the material reduces the demand on the working memory and allows for higher order thinking. Repetition of math skills leads to the development of automaticity of the particular skills. Automaticity is achieved when a mathematics task can be completed almost effortlessly. The student does not have to think about individual steps and can carry out the task of solving the problem rather then focussing on the details of the basic skills required.

In order to be a successful teacher I must be consistently learning new things and strive to further myself. It is important to receive regular input from my students and colleagues; consistently attempting to improve my teaching style.