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Kayla OBrien ENG. 297

Philosophy of Teaching
To each and every teacher there is a unique pedagogy. All educators have a specific style when they go in front of a class and teach. Within those styles, each individual teacher has values that they hold above the rest. Personally I believe in the ideas of student centered teaching, diversity within the classroom curriculum. I feel a teacher should do is to encourage students to understand the difference between standard English and their personal brand, and to understand the value of both. When talking about the subject of English, many people have their separate definitions and beliefs for what that really means. In actuality, English is a diverse topic, language and anything else the term covers. The English language is not just what we speak and its not the only form of English that should be represented within a curriculum. In the article Practical Pedagogy for Composition, author Lovejoy states This simple diagram illustrates the narrow, limited scope of our teaching about language in the classroom and the expansive territory left virtually unexplored. This refers to an illustration that depicts the ideals of language in schools; what takes priority and is primarily forgotten (Lovejoy. 98). This is a sad truth of the English classroom. Standard English is important to know but it is not necessarily worthy of dominating the subject. The English language is an incredibly diverse, The language is diversified by immigration, of course, but also peoples creative license and the resilient nature of local dialects. a

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statement made by Joan H. Hall in the article How to Speak American, this is the raw truth of things and a very important statement (Hall. 10). Hall mentions dialects, creativity and even immigration, all things that can give a students variant of the English language a unique voice. I personally believe that students need to be taught how to harness their type of English when it comes to creative or expressive writing. Standard English might be fine for standard English and regency exams but as a teacher I want students to know they dont have to silence their true voices. Its important for them to understand when to use standard and when it is ok to write freely. However, above that, I want them to be proud of and harness what makes their use of English unique. This would not only enrich an English class for the students in the sense of writing but it would also give the classroom a sense of diversity. When discussing the idea of diversity in a classroom, I am talking about more than just reading ethnic authors. The idea I have about diversity in a classroom curriculum is based more around the idea of language, and reading something because the content might address an issue weve seen before but in a different situation. Yet, diversity in the English education curriculum can even refer to exploring a different format of literature. All sorts of concepts can be integrated to find some form of harmony and create a more intriguing lesson. I feel that all of this is important, but I also have a strong belief in student centered teaching. It is one thing for a teacher to get up in front of a class and lecture about the topic but that doesnt really get the students actively involved in the lesson. Personally I think

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the classroom should be full of energy, interaction and a mutual learning. A teacher can give the students information but what does that do for them. I feel that if students have to interact with each other and actually discuss or reiterate the information they have been given it may encourage them in learning more or help them to better remember the topic. With this method students can lean more than just discussing the reading or topic with each other. Students also learn how to communicate amongst their piers, share information with each other and it might even help with their level of comfort interacting in the class. Students can be placed in a hot seat situation where they will have roles to fill and play in front of the class. Or, perhaps worships where they share their work with other students. With workshops I believe students can help each other by critiquing and they can also share a little of their voice in front of the rest of the class. In situations like this my roll as a teacher will be as a guide or just there to spur on discussion and interactions amongst students, and of course, answer any questions that they might have. Teaching Shakespeare in a classroom is something that can always be considered a challenge. There are a good number of students who have little to no interest in the great English playwright and poet. I feel this is attributed to teachers almost constantly revisiting the same pieces that Shakespeare has written, they dont like to step too far away from the standard of Romeo and Juliet. That is one of the first things that I would do different, students can read pieces like Hamlet, Macbeth, and The Tempest, and Shakespeare was also a recognized sonneteer. All of these are options but the class is far from limited to only expanding the readings. There is so much that a classroom can do to explore the works of

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William Shakespeare. If reading a play the students could be encourage to act out a part or try something else entirely different. For example the idea of putting Caesar or Brutus on trial, perhaps translate a scene into a form of the modern English language . Students could even write their own creative pieces inspired from one of the Shakespearian works they have read in class. The possibilities are endless. Above all I favor activities that can unify the class, or make them interact with each other. A activity that might be interesting is separating the class into groups and letting them pick a scene from a play. Then, once they have selected a scene they can pick a character, after doing so they have the option to ponder the background of that character or research about them and then present this in front of the class. With this activity they are looking beyond the initial text, thinking outside of the box and they are working together to achieve their goals. These are aspects of education that I feel are significant in a classroom, and also things that might make the education experience a little more interesting for students in high school. As a teacher I want to be the kind of person who encourage students to be creative, to reach out of the box and really explore different texts and concepts . Learning is important but it doesnt really hold much value in a students mind unless they really do want to learn. I want to inspire this in my students though teaching that will both prepare them for the testing they have to go through but will also explore other ideas and to see things in a new light. Bibliography Hall, Joan. "How to Speak American." Scope My Turn. 09 August 2010: 10. Print.

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Lovejoy, Kim. "Practical Pedagogy for Composition." Language Diversity in the Classroom From Intention to Practice. Smitherman . Illinois: United Press, 2003. Digital.

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