Today in Applied Linguistics class, we will create an educational philosophy. An educational philosophy is a “living credo” about who you currently are as a (language) educator. An educational philosophy develops over time just as you develop as a teaching practitioner; thus, keeping it up-to-date is vital. Reflecting on your educational philosophy over time also serves as a reminder of where you’ve been, where you are today, and where you would like to be in the future. Maintaining an educational philosophy is an intregal part of one’s ongoing professional learning trajectory.
Some suggestions when writing an educational philosophy can be viewed by reflecting on the following questions:
- Why do you teach?
- Whom do you teach?
- How and what you teach?
- Where you teach?
When applying for a teaching job, it’s likely that the school or institution doing the hiring will ask about your educational philosophy in one form or another. It’s always a good idea to not only keep your educational philosophy current, but also be able to articulate it clearly and succinctly. Try practice saying your educational philosophy in all of the languages you are able to speak, or likely have to speak when doing an interview.
Here is my example of my current educational philosophy…
His educational philosophy is to facilitate learners in becoming more apt to form valid, reliable, and unbiased arguments, provide innovative solutions to real-life problems, make decisions that resolve cognitive conflict by developing understandings through a difference of opinion or perspective, and create innovative ways of communicating with others. His role is to move learners from being dependent, to independent, to interdependent individuals who are not afraid to take chances, share their successes and failures with others, and are concerned for the well-being of not only themselves, but for others as well. Benjamin’s goal is to help others become more daring, sharing, and caring individuals.
Share your educational philosophy by replying to this post!
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