1. What is your personal teaching philosophy and what do you believe makes an outstanding teacher?
“In teaching, you can’t do the Bloom stuff until you take care of the Maslow stuff.” This quote from Alan E. Beck speaks to the work I do as an educator and appropriately describes my personal teaching philosophy.
My personal teaching philosophy is driven by ambition and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This is often a gentle reminder that students are much less likely to perform at their full potential if their needs go unmet. It doesn’t matter how much time I have to spend establishing and meeting the diverse needs of my students, because what I receive in return is invaluable. I believe in providing many things for my students-- from a nutritious snack to a 15-minute nap. While some may frown upon letting a student sleep, I believe there is (most of the time) a valid reason that is beyond the young student’s control as to why they were unable to fully rest at home.
I believe that an outstanding teacher has a vast understanding that they have limited influence on their student’s home lives, but uses an empathetic teaching approach in their classroom. An outstanding teacher assesses what each student needs and then works to adapt their instruction to meet those needs . They work tirelessly to reinforce student’s strengths, build relationships, and provide a safe environment, food, a comfortable place to rest, general support, and affirmative feedback.
Being an outstanding teacher is not defined by how much pedagogy we know or how many degrees we have, but much more defined by how much we care.