My Teaching Philosophy

My Teaching Philosophy
Ghada AlGhamdi

To state my teaching philosophy is to describe the teacher that I am now, not the teacher I was not the teacher I hope to be. Teaching for me is an evolving experience because I’m not the same teacher today that I was five years ago. My teaching develops with my extensive reading of theoretical and empirical texts, with my ongoing experience in the classroom, and with my growing awareness of the work of other disciplines. In many respects, the teacher I am now is shaped by my experiences as a teacher and as a researcher. I have developed an experimental philosophy of teaching with four central tenets. First, I believe in the importance and power of language. Second, I think that teachers should consider their students’ needs. Third, I believe that teachers should encourage critical thinking and logical reasoning in their classes. Finally, I think that educators and students must be part of the continuously altering technological setting.

I believe in the importance and power of language. According to social theories of language--theories that debate that language is a situated activity--I help students understand the importance of learning a language. Learning foreign languages nowadays is considered a characteristic feature in Saudi Arabia. It is advantageous to speak in a foreign language, especially English. Language skills are required nowadays in fields like business, medicine, translation, interpretation sales and secretarial work. English is considered a tool that helps you get a better job in a time where companies and organizations demand and require the ability to speak a foreign language. Therefore, I encourage students in all of my courses to observe the rhetorical situation at work--the writer(s), readers, text, and context. Moreover, I help my students realize that writing, reading, and speaking are important and empowering not just in college but also in the broader society as well. Theorists and researchers debate that reading, writing, and speaking are situated, integrated, symbiotic activities, and so I help students recognize how all language activities are formed and determined. I make sure students understand the important ways in which these activities shape and create their personal, academic, professional, and social identities. I believe that we must help students see the importance of and have the confidence when using language in all of these fields.

I think that teachers should consider their students’ needs. I consider my students' needs to conduct an effective teaching process on my behalf and an efficient learning process on theirs. I find the type of information the students need to know. I also consider the situations in which the students are going to use this information and their purpose of learning it. I feel like my role as a teacher is to work hand in hand in my institute with the curriculum designers, coordinators, teachers, and students as well to set the learning priorities, teaching methodologies and the general goals we need to accomplish in the teaching/learning processes. Therefore, to avoid being a teacher no purpose, I made it my ultimate goal that part of my role as a teacher now should be finding out solutions to prepare students linguistically and academically effectively. Therefore, it is my role now to be aware of the necessity of creating a learning environment that suits the students’ needs. As a teacher, I make sure to evaluate the textbooks I am assigned to use in my course. I make sure to check whether or not the content meets my course objectives as well as my students' needs. To conclude this point, to plan a successful course that will be beneficial for my students, I need to understand their needs first. That can be done through mere observation in class when giving them activities. It also could be simply by asking what they feel they need from the course by making a list listing and prioritizing their needs.

I believe that teachers should encourage critical thinking and logical reasoning. Critical thinking and logical reasoning necessitate my class not only to consider and incorporate the information presented but also to evaluate and assess the conclusions drawn. Therefore, a class discussion should be a primary focus of classroom activity because it is useful for building analytical thinking. I see my role as a teacher as one of delivering the necessary basic knowledge of course content to students while raising their critical thinking skills through the application of theory and concepts to the discussed issues. Through this application, areas that are void of knowledge will eventually emerge. As a teacher, I strive to implant a sense of curiosity in my students that challenges them to fill this void, whether for themselves or all of us. I do this by serving as a role model in the sense that I am searching for knowledge as well– for me, for them and the future. I display my critical thinking skills and share my curiosity for the unexplored or unknown. I value my students’ backgrounds and experiences and will encourage them to teach me as I teach them. I expect my students to have several levels of desire for learning. I strive to develop an atmosphere that encourages them to pursue areas that motivate and inspire them because I believe that real learning occurs when it is meaningful. I expect my students to appreciate and exploit their rights for a quality education, and to fulfill their responsibilities to themselves, to me and each other in our cooperative efforts to learn and discover. My fundamental goal in teaching is to offer required knowledge, encourage and promote critical thinking skills, and provoke curiosity that will lead students in their exertions of seeking success. By achieving this, I will fulfill the need within myself to make a difference somehow.

I think that educators and students must be part of the continuously altering technological setting. Technology permeates our lives, and it is constantly changing in educational and social practices. Therefore, teachers have a particular need to help students become fluent in the literate practices of a technological age. For students, these changes mean that they must become knowledgeable, experienced users of language in new venues, and they must be able to adapt their learning to new technologies. I strive to facilitate the English language to my students and improve their abilities to express themselves through the use of technology. I endeavor to offer them the best reading materials, watch short educational clips, or listen to educational tapes that may help overcome their difficulties. I encourage my students to communicate with me and with each other and share our ideas through the internet; via email, social networks or my website. For me, it is crucial to strike a balance between the traditional forms of academic settings and evolving (technological) forms of acceptable academic environments. I integrate technology such as multi-media classroom presentations and smart boards into my teaching practices as well. I work to keep pace with technology; there's always more to do, but I think it is essential for me as a teacher to stay well-informed of trends in technology.