Reflection / Capture 1

My teaching philosophy comes from how I learned as a young student growing up in Orem. My best learning moments came from teachers who showed a personal interest in my learning abilities. I would try to create the same kind of experience for my own students. In my opinion students tend to try harder in the class when they are listening to a teacher who they believe cares about them and the subject being taught.

My favorite teacher was at Orem High. His name was Mr. Brailsford and he was a drafting teacher. In that class, he was very laid back and very easy to work with. There was a lot of project time, so when we would get stuck on something, he would give us one-on-one time until we understood how to do it correctly. By doing this, he showed that he cared and wanted me to succeed.

I learn best by doing. When I am working with my hands and solving something, it is much easier for me to understand new ideas. I believe that everybody learns in different ways. I know that the way that works best for me may not work for someone else. I think that if I am able to provide one-on-one time with my students, they can be successful and I will know best how to help them individually.

In the book, it explains the three characteristics of an effective teacher. Which are positive expectations for student success, extremely good classroom manager, and knows how to design lessons for student mastery. I feel that Mr. Brailsford had very positive expectations for us as his students. He was very good at managing his classroom and giving the students the one-on-one time that they needed, and showing that he cared. He always had lessons every day that built upon each other to help us be better at drafting by learning new skills.

I hope I can have positive expectations, like Mr. Brailsford and as described in the book. I agree that it is important to have a good lesson plan that allows you to lead the students in a thoughtful direction. A direct quote from the book states, “When you look at the truly effective teachers, you will also find caring, warm, lovable people.” I will try my hardest to be a truly effective teacher by incorporating the things I learn about teaching.

I want to be a teacher because I want to be able to help other people. A lot of my happiness comes from service and helping others succeed. I hope that when I do start teaching, my students will be able to see this from my actions. I am passionate about technology, so I am excited to be able to share information with others.

The purpose of a technology teacher is to present new ideas and concepts. Technology is constantly changing and the kids want to keep up with the latest. Some kids will be interested in technology and others won’t. I hope that most students will be affected positively by my teaching. However, if I can spark interest into even one student’s life and change the way they think about technology, I will get some gratification from my job.