Running head: MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1

My Teaching Philosophy

Benjamin Etters

EDU-1301.100

February 24, 2019

MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 2

My Teaching Philosophy

I believe that learning should be as easy as possible for the student. All the information

the student needs to succeed in the classroom should be presented in a way that accommodates

all learning styles. When presenting material, there should be a verbal description of the content

along with visual diagrams and applications followed by a hands-on project or lab.

For me, chemistry is an amazing thing that can show us how the world, and the

things that happen in and around it, work. I want to translate that to my students by making them

question things and try and figure out why they work the way they do. Questioning to try and

fully understand things is essential to learning in and out of the classroom.

Students should be familiar with each other and be able to work as a team to solve a

problem. At the start of the year, the students should share with each other about who they are

and where they are from. If the students are familiar and comfortable with each other, they will

be more attentive towards the material.

There should be a list of major topics that will be covered throughout the year and

assignment should stay related to these topics. There should be time to question the material of

the section and ask how and why it works, but a schedule of when material should be presented

should be kept.

Short assignments should be given out each week covering the material discussed for that

week, then four exams spread throughout the year to cover all the material between each exam

period. A hands-on lab should be done every few weeks that relates to the prior lesson and

discussion on why we got certain results. There should be a week for work on STAAR related

material and give students time to study for the STAAR tests.

If there is a low average of grades over a topic covered, then the material should be
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 3

shortly described again. Specific students with low averages should be highly encouraged to

come in before or after class in order to discuss material, concerns, and questions. Extra credit

work should be offered to everyone in order to improve grades. Students who do not have

English as a first language or reading deficiencies should be compensated with packets written in

their first language or a more verbal description of the material, along with extra time to

complete work and assignments.