"Metaphorical discourse can create and reinforce personal and professional identities." - Janet Alsup
Janet Alsup once stated, “metaphorical discourse can create and reinforce personal and professional identities.” A metaphor is most commonly used to compare two objects, for example, life is an adventure. Metaphors are not only used to assist in describing an experience, but they can also change how someone perceives or understands certain events and/or situations. A metaphor can help shape an individual’s view on a certain theory. Therefore, in order to help organize and better understand my own personal philosophies, I have used metaphors to help describe the various beliefs I personally have on teaching.
First, I believe teaching is like a garden. The classroom is much like a simple pile of soil with seeds in the ground the first time you approach it. Just like the seeds, the students are anxiously awaiting to see how you care for them. Just like the students, if you treat the seeds with respect, love, compassion, and care, they will bloom into something beautiful; if in turn, you have all the necessary supplies but fail to execute, the seeds will sit there, will feel neglected, and won’t grow into what you hoped. Teaching first takes compassion. If students see you care about them first, they will be much more likely to grow. Therefore, I’ve learned to greet my students with a smile, listen intently to what they have to say, respect their opinions, and ultimately give them the love each and every one of them deserves.
Secondly, I believe teaching is like building a team. Michael Jordan arguably may have been one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA. However, the 72 game win for a single season in the NBA couldn’t have been achieved without the assistance of the other Chicago Bulls players on his team. Just like Micheal Jordan couldn’t have achieved all his records on his own, a classroom of students can’t grow as learners without the creation of a strong community. Discussion among students creates a community. Students being able to hear the opinions of their classmates often helps them see a situation in a light they may have not been able to see it before. Each and every student in the classroom has a unique mind of their own, and all those different perspectives helps foster growth in the learning process furthermore and hopefully creating trust among the students. Not only does the team talking amongst one another help them to improve their skills, it also helps the coach figure out what works for them as a team and what doesn’t. Just as a coach, the teacher must listen to her students and see what motivates them in order to help them progress as learners. A team could never be as strong if they never talked to each other, just as a classroom full of brilliant minds could never grow if there was no sense of community.
Lastly, I believe teaching is like a wave. Just like the waves in the ocean create a ripple effect, teaching with passion will also have a ripple effect. If students see you are passionate and enthusiastic about teaching them your subject, they will most likely mirror that attitude. Therefore, it is essential to come to class everyday and be enthusiastic about your students being there. If they sense you are not passionate about your lesson, how can the teacher expect the students to be even more motivated about learning that lesson? Therefore, the teacher should be that wave that creates many more ripples of students who are motivated and ready to learn and enjoy coming to your class everyday.
- Please feel free to visit the unabridged version of my philosophy of teaching by clicking on the link below:
teaching_philosophy_for_portfolio.docx | |
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