Revisit your personal philosophy of teaching. What learning strategies (discussed in chapter 7) that are influenced by your personal philosophy of teaching might you integrate

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My Philosophy of Teaching

Cristina Lopez

NURS535

01/14/2024

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My Philosophy of Teaching

My teaching philosophy emerges from my understanding of what teaching is. I view

teaching as basically passing information from one person to another. While this may sound

like a simplistic definition of what teaching is, it is the core and in the absence of the passing

of information, then teaching is incomplete. The passing of information serves as the

foundation for my teaching philosophy. The goal is to guarantee that the student receives the

information and is properly educated on not only the syllabus, but the various nuances needed

to guarantee their success in life.

With my philosophical foundation established, I can build on it by adding various

blocks to aid me in my endeavor. The first block is constant education. The time when I was a

student and now are two different times. There has been so much change and the evolution is

constant. A good example is the prevalence of ADHD. As a child, I had never heard of the

illness nor did I know anyone who had it. However, the illness is very common and there is

more awareness of that illness and more illnesses in the modern world. If I were to approach

education and teaching with the same perspective that my teachers approached teaching in

my day, then I would not be as effective as I should be. This is why constant education is key.

Keeping up with modern trends such as the use of technology in education and the

knowledge of emerging mental illnesses will make me a better teacher.

Another block that is critical to my teaching philosophy is empathy. The truth is

teachers in my learning years did not care about the status of the students. For them, the

priority was them doing their job and leaving. As a student, I was aware of some students

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dealing with heavy things at home. However, many teachers did not acknowledge this and

some even went ahead to label these students as bad apples when they did not react as

expected in school. I do not wish to be one of these teachers, who fail to acknowledge the

suffering of the student. Rather, I would prefer to be a loving and caring teacher, who

understands the plight of the students under their care.

Another key block in my teaching philosophy is cooperation. I will be the first to

admit that this is a tall order. Many parents have delegated the role of parenting to the

teachers and spend most of their time and work. I have seen and experienced cases where

parents show great nonchalance when they are called to school for a parent-teacher

conference. I have had the unfortunate experience of having a parent hang up on me after I

reached out to discuss their child's erratic behavior in class. However, in the absence of

collaboration, education, and teaching can be very difficult. It is important to remind parents

that they are stakeholders in their child's success. Parents must be involved in their children's

education, which is why I aim to collaborate with them in my teaching practice.

The final block is adaptability. Mike Tyson, one of the greatest boxers of all time,

once said that every plan flies out of the window when you get punched in the face. He would

go on to bite Evander Holyfield's ear off after he lost to him in a rematch, an action which

further validates that sentiment. This quote by Mike Tyson proves the vitality of adaptability

in life. Teaching is no different. I need to be able to adapt to the constantly changing spectrum

of education. I need to recognize that education and society are constantly changing and I

need to change with it. This is why adapting is essential.

While my teaching philosophy sounds complicated, at its core, it is very easy to

understand. The aim for me is to pass information on to the students. However, the blocks of

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my philosophy help to make me more effective in passing information to the students. They

aid in making my philosophy applicable and guaranteeing that my endeavors as a teacher are

successful. My goal is to ensure that the students are well equipped with the knowledge they

need to survive in the world as adults.