Goal 3

the ability to articulate a philosophy of language teaching grounded in current language and learning theories.

After studying TESL in an academic setting for four years and practicing TESL for over 5 years, my believes about teaching, classrooms, ESL students, linguistics, language learning have constantly been challenged, changed, and, finally, molded into what they are today.  I have developed several principles which I firmly believe in and which guide my practice as an ESL teacher: 

A positive atmosphere is essential to learning.
First and foremost, this is my strongest belief.  The atmosphere of the learning environment is very important to me because it is vital for student success.  Starting from the first day of class, I strive to create a positive atmosphere: a safe place where students (and teacher) can make mistakes, try new things, ask questions, laugh, be themselves, and enjoy class time. Students build relationships and develop trust between each other and their teacher by working and negotiating together as a whole class and in small groups.

A teacher is a leader.
An important element of creating a positive atmosphere is a teacher who is leader.  The characteristics of leaders are the same as the qualities of good teachers: being flexible; leading by example or modeling; encouraging and inspiring students to be the best they can be by stretching and challenging them; being facilitators rather than lecturers; clearly defining expectations; being consistent; being confident; setting goals and objectives; answering questions; being observant; having vision; being patient; managing conflict; and always self-reflecting.  To be a good leader and teacher, one must have a student-centered orientation: always considering what will benefit students most. Flexibility is essential to student-centeredness because a teacher must constantly adjust materials to support new students, not just repeating what was taught in the past.

All teaching materials and assignments must relate to real-life.
I strongly believe that anything taught in class should benefit students directly or indirectly outside of the classroom (for example, learning self-confidence).  I believe that language cannot ever be separated from culture and should thus be taught in context; this being the case, I focus on real, authentic language being used in today's world and the social implications and consequences this language carries.  I strive to maintain a realistic view towards teaching materials and the classroom, so I recognize the limited time students have with their teacher and ever-changing technology.  Independence is encouraged by giving students resources they can use when the course ends.  Technology is a reality of our life today and thus teaching materials and resources must constantly be monitored and modified to stay current.  Like technology, language is constantly being renewed and changed, therefore, it is just as important to stay up-to-date with language as it is with technology.  Having a student-centered mindset and being a leader is essential for this principle because accomplishing it is no easy feat.