As a teacher, I plan on actively engaging the students and myself so that I will teach an enjoyable class that students want to attend. This will not only build student’s motivation, it will also allow me to be more empowered as a teacher. I will have clear class objectives that meet the needs of the majority of the students and will be willing to help them on an individual basis when needed. Students should not be afraid to come to me for help as their teacher because I will be approachable and willing to help when needed. I will supply the students with opportunities to speak with native or native-level English speakers so that they can have the chance to build their confidence when speaking to those at a higher level than themselves. I will also make sure to plan lessons in advance. I will make a conscious effort to follow the 5/55/5 rule, as this will be the most effective method of learning for my students. I will make lessons as engaging for students as I can through activities that apply to what we are learning in class so that they are able to apply concepts in their every day lives.
Learning English will be the main goal of my classroom. As a teacher, I will do everything in my power to advance the student’s knowledge and love for the language as a whole. We will study the nuances of the English language and I will try to teach them idioms and such so that they will be more fully able to function in American society. One main rule in my classroom will be that English must be spoken as much as possible. I will encourage the students to abide by this rule by enforcing it as much as possible in the classroom. Students will be separated as much as possible from the other students that share their same native tongues. This will give the students the need to speak English with the other students and will afford them opportunities to practice with those on the same level as them.
Students will be expected to be self-motivated in their reasons for learning English. They will be expected to study on their own outside of class and must make an effort to speak English outside of the classroom as much as possible. I will make sure, as the teacher, to praise students appropriately when they have made progress in their acquisition of the English language. Students will play an active role in their learning and I will actively use the sandwich method when telling them things upon which they can improve. Students will be encouraged to be active learners in and out of the classroom so that they will be more likely to learn the language and become proficient in it. As self-motivated learners, their language acquisition will be much quicker, and the will be able to more fully function in American society.
Students will be encouraged to apply their knowledge of their mother tongue to their learning process when learning English. Since many of the grammar principles are similar or the same, their first language will not be ignored, rather, it will be celebrated as a portal to further language learning. While their native tongue will be recognized, students will be encouraged to speak only English in the class when at all possible. This will lead to better proficiency in the language, giving a better end result when tested. Comparisons between languages will be highly encouraged so one can better understand grammar formation, and direct translation between language one and language two will be closely monitored to ensure that it is avoided as frequently as possible.
While I know that this philosophy of teaching will change as I gain more experience with teaching ESL students, I believe that this is a good beginning to a teaching philosophy. I have a sold basis in what I have learned throughout my Linguistics and English Language classes at a University level, allowing me to form solid theories about what I will be like as a teacher.
