Teaching Philosophy
Amy Trout
Fall 2011
There were a few teachers in my career as a student who made an impression on me. What they had in common was a passion for teaching and a contagious enthusiasm for their subject matter. These characteristics had an impact on my attitude toward school and my potential for success. I did not love school but being exposed to adults who were fully satisfied by their opportunity to teach inspired me.
Teaching is important in our society because students are a captive audience ready to be filled not only with information but with inspiration. One can not overlook the promise of young people who will take what they learn now and impact our society in the future. It is a privilege and great responsibility to instruct, motivate, encourage, stimulate, guide and prepare eager students. Even more challenging are those students who are reluctant, slow or unmotivated. A teacher is valuable because it is necessary to equip all youth with the skills they will need to be successful, contributing members of their communities.
My objective is to teach the fundamental concepts of English including competent reading proficiency, application of vocabulary and effective written and oral communication skills. I will accomplish this by presenting information in a meaningful, lasting way that strives to facilitate the possession of life-long learning potential. It is my goal to encourage students to enjoy reading, to increase their vocabulary and improve their ability to communicate successfully both orally and in their written work. I will strive to take each student to the next level in their learning.
In my effort to inspire students toward life-long learning I will help students learn and develop as individuals by presenting materials in a variety of ways to suit different learning styles and ability levels. I will help each student find their own strengths and weaknesses by assigning tasks that appeal to student interests. Students bring many learning obstacles with them to the classroom. Some have social and emotional issues from home and some have learning problems. These must not be ignored but they should not be over-emphasized either. I will be aware of obstacles distinctive of secondary students and teach strategies to overcome them.
In my teaching career I will apply all of the life experience, acquired knowledge and instructional strategies I possess for the benefit of my students. I look forward to the time spent in planning lessons, creating assessments and evaluating my own effectiveness while working toward the end of educating students.