Teaching Philosophy: The kind Uchemefuna 1

Teaching Philosophy: The Kind of Teacher I Strive To Be

Funanya Uchemefuna

California State University Dominguez Hills

Initial Teaching Statement: The Kind of Teacher I Strive To Be

Teaching Philosophy: The kind Uchemefuna 2

The teaching career is one with many talents and roles. A classroom teacher is not only

an educator, but also a nurse, a mother, a therapist, and even a mentor. Being an educator for

students means accommodating to their needs, teaching an in asset-based way, instilling the love

of learning, and allowing yourself to be the student sometimes. In order to be an effective teacher

one must follow the guide of access, climate, expectations, and language instruction (Echevarria

23). A good teacher understands that motivation is key and children come in wanting to learn. I

want to be an educator that views student’s as assets, so that they feel welcomed and important.

My goal is to change student’s perception of school, so that they may continue to love learning. I

feel it is my duty and privilege to give back to the world by helping students reach their full

potential, instead of letting deficit thinkers define who they are. My top priority as a teacher is to

motivate and bring creativity to teaching so that all students are engaged and keep that drive to

learn.

My goal.

Creating a trusting environment.

As a pre-service teacher with Teacher Assistant experience I have learned that trust can

go a long way in a classroom. A teacher must provide a safe space for students to participate and

learn. A student can not learn if they constantly feel ridiculed for making a mistake. Teaching

children that mistakes are ok can enhance a student’s motivations to try and try again in even

their worst subjects. A trusting environment is a perfect example of expressing the climate

method of teaching (Echevarria 24).

Participating in students lives.

A student tries their best when they feel that someone cares. Teaching is not just about

providing a student with the materials and information, but encouraging them to do their very
Teaching Philosophy: The kind Uchemefuna 3

best. The leading way to do that is to participate in their lives through getting their parents

involved, so the gap between home and school is not so big or even volunteering to help your

struggling students in afterschool programs. When students know your watching and you care

they tend to go above and beyond to impress you and when they impress you they might impress

themselves. As a teacher being a mentor can help kids strive to be the best they can be.

How I’m going to achieve my goals.

Classroom Environment

In order to get students to feel that they are in a safe trusting environment I gathered

some ideas to help express that from 20 Tips for Creating a Safe Learning Environment by

Rebecca Alber. She gave some strategies that I thought would be helpful like posting students

work all over the classroom. This would help them to appreciate their own work and motivate

them by allowing them to see their progress and achievements in the classroom.

In order to create a bond with my students and let them know they are a significant factor

in their own learning I will make sure to approach them in an open and asset based manner. I will

make sure to incorporate every students cultural background and human capital. The differences

within each students’ capital and culture should never be considered a deficit, but as an asset.

When a teacher makes the curriculum relevant to a students “prior knowledge” they are allowing

the student to guide their own learning, instead of being fed facts without being able to critically

think about it. By giving my students the voice they deserve in allowing them to contribute their

funds of knowledge to the curriculum being taught I will have expanded their learning capability.

My students will be able to comprehend what is being taught by digging into their linguicism,

culture, and foundational knowledge. Every students’ funds of knowledge and capital shapes the

way they think and how they understand. Students should feel that the classroom is their space to
Teaching Philosophy: The kind Uchemefuna 4

learn, teach, and open up. My classroom will be equitable, culturally sustaining, and give

students the resources they need to explore their own learning. I will form my curriculum in an

asset based manner to foster students’ confidence, foundational knowledge, and way of thinking,

so that they may lead us in a transformative society.

Interactive classroom activities.

My goal is to encourage students’ love for learning. This means that I must not take their

participation for granted and implement strategies that make each student feel comfortable and

unjudged. Interactive methods such as Think, Pair, Share, Close Readings with an Image,

Classifying map and Comprehension Check are also some methods to address a variety of

students such as English Learners, students with special needs, and students with low self-

esteem. The purpose of these strategies is to be able pre-assess what students know and allow

them to also assess their own learning by seeing how well they understand certain readings. The

small groups for these methods will allow students to come together and enhance each others

comprehension of a text using multiple perspectives of understanding without the pressure of

speaking in front of a large audience.

Am I a transformative teacher?

The goal I set for myself when I begin to teach is being able to change the way students

view school, just as my elementary teacher did for me. She was the first teacher that showed she

genuinely cared about my success and I remember always waking up in the morning being

excited for school. That was the first year that I didn’t dread waking up for school in the

morning. She was my role model and I strive to be just like her, a transformative teacher for

social justice. The strategies that I expressed to give students a safe environment, a mentor, and a

reason to come to school I believe will help change their perspectives on school. My methods of
Teaching Philosophy: The kind Uchemefuna 5

teaching will give them a trusting and caring atmosphere, so that they may shrink the gap

between school and home. My goal is to give students the courage to want to do better not just in

school, but in life. I will be able to give them the tools and encouragement they need to be able

to strive for success.

References

Alber, R. (2011, September 9). 20 Tips for creating a safe learning environment |

Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-create-safe-learning-

environment-rebecca-alber
Teaching Philosophy: The kind Uchemefuna 6

Echevarria, J. (2015). What it takes for English learners to succeed. Educational

Leadership.

A Marriage Made in Math Class. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2008/09/10/01math.h02.html?intc=es&print=1

Interactive classroom activities. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.brown.edu/about/administration/sheridan-center/teaching-

learning/effective-classroom-practices/interactive-classroom-activities

Morrison, P. (2017). Strawberries in Watsonville: Putting family and student knowledge at the

center of the curriculum. In E. Barbian, G. Gonzales, & P. Meija (Eds.), Rethinking

bilingual education: Welcoming home languages in our classrooms (pp. 220-228).

Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Motivating students. (2016). Retrieved from https://teach.com/what/teachers-change-

lives/teachers-motivate/

Roles of a teacher in the Classroom. (2015, July 22). Retrieved from

http://www.education.gov.gy/web/index.php/teachers/tips-for-teaching/item/1603-roles-

of-a-teacher-in-the-classroom