Mary Elizabeth Arndt

189 E 26th St. Holland, Michigan 49423 Home: 616-510-6472 mearndt@umich.edu

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning

I recall the first time I was asked What will you be when you grow up? and at the age
of five, I told my Kindergarten class that I wanted to be a teacher. Approaching my freshman
year of college, I was uncertain what the next four years at the University of Michigan would
bring, but it started with my acceptance to the Secondary Education Program. Spanish already
held a special place in my heart and my roots lie in the culture. My visits to Mexico growing
up, the culture, the food, the language, everything about Spanish inspired me. I knew there was
only one subject I was passionate enough about to teach; Spanish.
I have had many inspirational teachers in my schooling that have instilled valuable
knowledge into me. I am thankful for the ones who dedicated many hours outside of their
scheduled periods for their students; those who gave up time to coach teams or organize clubs,
attend fundraisers or athletic events and those sacrificed their lunch period for their students.
This dedication is how teachers establish meaningful relationships with their students and I hope
to do the same.
As a student teacher, I have realized how much effort and time really goes into planning
lessons and teaching students to be successful. But I value that time; this is what helps develop
relationships that make the field of teaching rewarding in the classroom. When students feel
safe to interact with and respect their teacher, the classroom environment is filled with positive
energy. Security in the classroom allows students to feel comfortable making mistakes in front of
their classmates; this is crucial for a World Language classroom. When learning a new language,
mistakes often happen, in fact they must happen to improve speaking, writing, and listening
skills in the target language. Spanish and English are two languages that do not directly translate
and I will encourage my students to make mistakes as it is part of the language learning process.
Mistakes help us to learn to not make the same error again.
Speaking is a difficult component of learning a new language and it can also be the most
frightening for students since speaking is out of their comfort zone. It is one of the most
important skills in learning a language and students deserve a supportive classroom where they
can practice these skills without feeling inferior to their other classmates. Respect and

encouragement are traits that I will expect my students to have for each other, as I will have the
same for them.
Being a teacher of culture is just as important as being a teacher of language or
grammar. With the number of Spanish speakers increasing in the United States, students should
understand who these individuals are, be aware of the culture differences and respect their
diversity. This not only promotes a deeper understanding of the language, but it also promotes a
deeper connection to what is becoming a large part of the United States. Understanding cultural
differences allows students the opportunity to take this knowledge and visit other Spanish
speaking countries successfully, as well as respectfully. My travels to Mexico and Spain have
been two of the most rewarding experiences in my life and my knowledge of the Spanish
language and culture helped to make those experiences gratifying.
As a future World Languages teacher, it is my goal to share my experiences, my
mistakes as a language learner, keep these students engaged with meaningful material, and teach
them the many doors learning a new language can open for them. My mothers roots come from
Mexico and I identify closely with this side of my family, even though I did not start learning the
language until later in life. I am truly passionate about Spanish and as a lifelong learner, I want
my students to know that I am still learning aspects about the language and culture. Spanish
comes from a great range of countries and even though the language is characterized by the same
name, the number of dialects as well as cultural differences from country to country is
fascinating. My goal is to share this passion with my students and if I am successful, students
may begin to feel the same passion I have for language and culture.
As an educator, I do not just teach Spanish, I am teaching kids; these are wise
words my mentor has always encourage her students to think about upon entering this field.
While I love teaching Spanish, but I also want to inspire my students. I want to teach them about
life experiences and to be a mentor for them. I understand that every individual will be different,
but I am willing to help each of these students succeed. While every students passion will not be
Spanish, I hope that they are inspired to find their own. I look forward to my career in the field of
education and the opportunity to make my students experience in the classroom be as gratifying
as possible.