Philosophy of Teaching
Cherie Eppler
October, 2023
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
I believe the experience of life is learning in everything we do. I believe that people learn by observing, by experiencing new things, and by having an open mind to try new things. My beliefs are the reason I teach. I want to help people to learn and to develop their sense of accomplishment and reach their full potential in their lives. In my mind this is done by creating an environment where students are not afraid to try and not afraid to possibly fail at something. It is a concept that allows continuous learning throughout peoples’ lives.
Learning is sharing. It is sharing experiences, knowledge, and skills. Being open to learning new ideas and experiencing new things is key to ‘learn as if you were to live forever’. I create an environment for my students to feel comfortable with learning and having new experiences. I share my knowledge and experiences through teaching. I teach accountability by modeling. I take accountability for my own actions and expect the same from my students. My objective is to help people, and I want people to experience a sense of accomplishment as I believe once they experience this once, they will strive to do more and experience more throughout their entire lives.
The students I teach are international students that are learning English and Canadian culture. The most important learning goals for the majority of these students is to practice speaking and to improve their overall English skills. The students experience challenges talking with native English speakers and gaining confidence with their abilities. I believe my students are best served by my style of teaching is that they have opportunities to share their opinions and thoughts in a comfortable environment. This helps create confidence in their English
I create an environment that encourages participation of learners. I encourage students to talk with each other and help each other. There is a willingness to try even though it may be difficult and there may be a chance that the answers or responses may not be correct; however, no one criticizes or ‘judges’ these mistakes. This is an opportunity to learn and to share comments and opinions. I start the class/program by creating a classroom policy that all students contribute and support the policy. I try to recognize different learning styles and comfort levels of learners while at the same time encouraging the students that are less comfortable with sharing their ideas, opportunities to share their opinions and thoughts in ways they are more comfortable with. However, I also believe it is important for people to gain that confidence in sharing their thoughts and opinions.
I want my students to leave my classroom feeling like they have accomplished their goals and they have confidence and that they will continue learning in all things they do. I want to provide students with the skills and attitude that they can overcome challenges and obstacles in their lives.
I believe students respond to my teaching style as I have witnessed their expressions and their pride when they have accomplished their goals. I have seen their ‘aha’ moments and I feel that sense of satisfaction just as much as the students do. Their perseverance is another indication that they are learning through my teaching as they feel comfortable with trying and are not afraid to make mistakes. I believe my ability to connect with students also contributes to my effectiveness in helping people learn.
My goals for improving my teaching is to continue to learn and be open to new methods. I want to learn through feedback of my students, and fellow teachers. I want to continue to learn education programs such as these and to learn from observing other teaching methods. I want to make sure I am aware and am sensitive of different learning styles on a regular basis.
My strong belief in life-long learning ensures I will continue to develop my skills in teaching students. I believe that as a teacher I learn along with my students. I will continue to take advantage of opportunities and experiences that enhance my skills and abilities. I teach because I enjoy sharing, and learning, and helping people. I teach because I am living forever through my students!