Teaching Philosophy

As a Foreign Language Teacher successful learning is constituted by the demonstration of the

ability to communicate effectively in the target language. I know students are successfully

learning when they demonstrate the ability to lower their inhibitions and they attempt to use the

language to communicate with one another or with me.

For me the perfect teaching situation is on that evokes the affective factor of the students

while we collaborate to co-construct meaning. In this way I aspire to encourage mastery of the

Spanish language instead of simply the general transference of route grammatical rule

application skills. Creating this ideal learning situation for the students is not, however, a simple

task. It is a task that requires me to perform several roles in the classroom including: mediator,

coach, producer, observer, and entertainer. By effectively performing these roles inside of the

classroom I allow the students in my classroom to take ownership of their learning.

Students in my class should obtain a variety of skills related both to knowledge and behavior.

Specific student goals are divided into three categories; semester, unit, and daily goals. Semester

goals directly correspond with the language learning standards as outlined by the state of North

Carolina. Unit goals are determined before the unit begins and are presented to students on the

first day with the completion of a pre-assessment that foreshadows unit vocabulary, grammatical

topics, and general themes. The pre-assessment also gives me an opportunity to talk with the

students about unit goals. Finally, students are given daily goals. The daily goal is announced at

the beginning of the class and assessed at the end of the class by asking for a show of hands or of

fingers for how well they have grasped the concept, vocabulary, or theme of the day.

The methodology I use to assist students in reaching mastery of goals and objectives is a

combination of many different approaches. Every year I find myself reevaluating previous
lessons and units; asking myself, was that really the best way to teach it? However, in general I

tend to employ a backwards design methodology that is task driven and student oriented. Some

of my favorite strategies include: PACE grammatical lessons, instructional conversations, Total

physical response vocabulary stories, and task sequences such as think-pair-share, jigsaw, role-

plays, and paired interviews. Group work also, consistently, forms part of my teaching

methodology. I intentionally group students based off their level and their learning preference, as

determined by the VARK learning preference questionnaire, to complete a myriad of different

engaging tasks that help students to use the target language in a meaningful way. Although I

strive to complete as many cooperative learning tasks as possible I also recognize and believe in

the importance of integrating some focus on form activities to ensure the information has been

clearly portrayed and to prevent the cementation of any errors. Students also enjoy having the

opportunity to demonstrate their mastery in a less involved way.

As a teacher I have a lot of different responsibilities in and outside of the classroom that

impact how I am able to spend my time. One characteristic that I admire and encourage in my

students is the ability to self-advocate. I remind students often to ask questions and seek help

whenever needed. An outside observer would see a teacher who is constantly interacting with her

students. I take every opportunity to circle through the classroom and guide students away from

errors. They would also see a teacher who encourages students to help one another; learning is a

team effort. Allowing students to work together fosters a non-threatening atmosphere where

mistakes are expected and accepted as part of the learning process. Working through difficult

concepts so that I can eventually see students achieve mastery is one of my main motivators for

working with students.

 Assessing learning is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching a foreign language.

While traditional test are easier to grade (less time consuming, close-ended, pre-fabricated) I

have rarely found one that can accurately determine the ability of a language student. Also,

because I believe all students should be assessed independently of one another I do not grade on

a curve. For these reasons the assessments I utilize in my classes are task based and require

students to use all of their communicative modes (intra, inter, and presentational). One of my

favorite assessment tools, for example, is a level three task that requires students to write and

perform a soap-opera.

Of all my beliefs about teaching, from how to present information to how to assess it, the one

philosophy that I am most dedicated to is that as long as I am a teacher I must also be a student.

Professional growth is at the top of my priority list. Fortunately the ways in which I can continue

to learn are plentiful. Every year I take advantage of learning from my students, my colleagues,

my professional organizations, scholarly publications and my graduate school classes. Each of

these knowledge input sources help me to reflect upon my lesson plans, my classroom

management, and my overall effectiveness as a teacher.