My Teaching Philosophy

 

When I think about learning and education, I think back to my life as a student. I learned by doing, I learned by knowing what was expected of me, I learned by connecting to my teachers and building relationships with my classmates. What’s funny though is that I don’t really remember the material that was taught. I remember the experiences, the surroundings, the feeling I got when I achieved a good mark or did well on a project. But in the end, I knew the material and have been successful in my career.

 

I want to teach through experiences that are fun, engaging and practical. I want students to participate in learning activities that allow them to acquire the knowledge they need to be successful in the workforce in a meaningful way. I want to teach them skills that will help them succeed in life and grow as a person. As a new instructor, I want my students to remember their experience at NBCC and feel confident walking out the doors to pursue their careers, like I did.

 

I view my teaching philosophy as a mission statement with values and the commitments that I will make as an instructor. I will take every opportunity to instil and demonstrate these values and commitments to those that I am fortunate to come to know as students, faculty, administrators and my community network. 

 

MISSION

As an instructor at NBCC, I will be dedicated to my students, to the community and to NBCC. I will live the mission of the college by transforming lives and communities. 

 

VALUES

I bring with me the values of my first teacher: my dad.

• I learned to value patience, kindness, trust and trustworthiness. 

• I was taught to look for and listen to different perspectives and value those perspectives. 

• I have instilled a deep sense of giving back to the community. 

• I was taught in non-traditional ways; I learned to be creative in teaching where knowledge was not the first goal, but it was the end result. 

• I learned to be myself. I value being as authentic in the classroom as I am in life.

 

COMMITMENTS

I will remind myself that sharing my real-world experience with student will help prepare the future workforce in our community. Through my involvement in the community, I will look for ways to create connections between students and potential employers and/or volunteer organizations. I will demonstrate how to make a difference in our community.

 

I will remember that students are adults and are taking this program to grow and improve their lives. I will trust that they will be responsible for their learning and I will be accountable to them. I will focus my attention on helping students achieve their potential. I will use teaching methods that engage all types of learners; I will be fair and non-judgemental.

 

I will look for ways to learn as much from my students as they learn from me. 

 

PURPOSE

I took this job because I was searching for a career that was personally fulfilling on a daily basis. I believe I will find this fulfillment through teaching by:

• Seeing different points of view from my students.

• Watching people grow and being part of their life journey. 

• Making a difference in the lives of my students.

 

The following image is a Wordle of the contents of my Teaching Philosophy. I think it shows what my priorities are for teaching: 

• Students

• Community

• Learning