Teaching Philosophy and Classroom Management
My teaching philosophy is that I can deliver holistic learning to my students, where they not only learn science and math but also learn how to look at the world with empathy, build a sense of community citizenship, and at the same time become critical thinkers. This requires me to create meaningful dialogues, connect learning to real-world problems and challenges, and ensure that students remain engaged and not bored. I want to foster meaningful conversations and create a respectful environment.
It may sound very ideal, but in reality, students come from diverse backgrounds. Some students have limited resources to participate in extracurricular activities or to explore new skills. Another reality is that many students spend more time on technology than they should, and they are often developing skills, especially through gaming, that we may not yet fully recognize or understand. The challenge then becomes: how can we consider all of these realities and create a “personal management system” that helps us be proactive, gives us clarity, and provides strategies to respond effectively when needed? I came up with following points based on the weekly reading Teaching Tolerance. (2016). Reframing classroom management: A toolkit for educatorsLinks to an external site.. Learning for Justice, which has amazing resources.
My personal management system.
Be respectful and professional at all times.
Provide opportunities for one-on-one conversations with students to better understand their needs and perspectives.
Document behaviours carefully: record what I observed, what I said, how I approached the situation, and how the student responded.
Establish healthy, respectful, and safe boundaries that are clear and consistent.
Avoid taking behaviour personally. Students often act out of frustration or immaturity; it does not define who they are.
Emphasize growth and improvement. There is always room for students to make better choices and for us as educators to guide them there.
Remember that students are young and will make mistakes. Our role is to teach them how to correct those mistakes and support them in co-regulating their emotions and behaviour.
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