Teaching Philosophy

I love what I do. A professor in graduate school once told me that this is unprofessional to say—bringing sentimentality into an arena that should be objective and clinical.

But objectivity is a myth: approachable but unattainable and I am not ashamed of my feelings towards my career. Indeed, I am proud to have such a fulfilling part of my life. Thus, I repeat: I teach French and I love what I do.

Enthusiasm plays a large role in my teaching, but there are other aspects that inform my approach to second language acquisition.

Free Will

Free will is paramount. My students are free-willed adults, often capable of more than even they imagine. Even if they come from a disadvantaged background, face present difficulties of scheduling or personal matters or struggle with a disability, one of my core beliefs is that my students are capable of amazing things on their own, given the right environment and impetus. It is their own initiative that drives them to come to class, to complete their work, to succeed or fail. Openly respecting that individual will is the best way to both encourage and challenge students to do well.

Scaffolding

In the face of this belief in free will, it is logical that I see myself as a facilitator more than a lecturer. Here, frankly, is a weakness of my enthusiasm: love of the subject matter tempts to me to transmit information rather than encourage its exploration. My largest challenge is scaffolding appropriately: determining the proficiency of my students (especially at the beginning of a semester) and creating exercises that encourage them to explore the French language and culture in meaningful ways to them. Meaning-making, that most basic of human activities, becomes its own reward and incomprehensibility a check against inaccuracy.

High Standards

Because I believe in their abilities, I hold my students to a high standard. This means going beyond completing the homework and attending class. It means engaging oneself and one’s classmates in meaningful ways; it means thinking creatively and critically about assignments. To help my students achieve these standards, I do a number of things. First, I am clear about my expectations: I put the goals of a class session on the board each meeting, I distribute rubrics used for grading compositions and oral presentations. Second, I provide positive models; part of my website is a collection of student work that exceeded my expectations. Finally, I provide constant constructive feedback; I freely give praise when it is earned and avoid overt criticism with questions or suggestions.

Progress

My students are not the only ones to be evaluated. Innovation and critical self-reflection in my teaching are critical. I constantly seek to improve my teaching in several ways. First, I keep my own pulse with a daily journal. Secondly, I encourage my students to contact me via email, telephone or simple conversations outside the classroom. I have found that a simple human rapport goes a long way towards a positive attitude in the classroom. Finally, I make an effort to have peers visit and evaluate my lessons.

Conclusion

I love what I do, but that does not make it an effortless task. Indeed, the work necessary to succeed as a university-level French teacher is part of why I enjoy my career. Taking into account the free will of my students, it is my job to encourage exploration of the French language while also setting them up to exceed expectations. I seek to achieve this through constant reflection and second-party input.