LWidener-Teaching-Philosophy
- 1. Laura Widener – Teaching Philosophy My philosophy of teaching grew from my diverse experiences as a student and my commitment to helping others. It evolved from a love of learning and a passion to become an effective educator to foster students’ personal growth. My interest in teaching writing stems from the encouraging teachers that improved my self-perception, and my belief that writing skills can be enhanced through supportive instruction and balanced curriculum. My interest in teaching social sciences stems from the experience and belief that the study of social structures and behaviors greatly benefit understanding and interaction in all social experiences regardless of different fields of study. Because of my knowledge and experiences, I find that my ultimate goal as an educator is to cultivate positive and successful learning experiences. I want students to develop a love of learning, an ability to understand and apply subject matter, and improve their critical thinking skills to benefit their future. This mission can be accomplished by focusing on three primary areas: student-centered teaching, thoughtful assessment strategies, and supportive and clarified communication. Student-Centered Teaching Student-centered learning approaches are essential for promoting personal growth, improving critical thinking skills, and successfully achieving learning goals. My focus as an educator is not the content of my lectures or my expertise—rather my focus is to provide an active learning environment that encourages students to be engaged and develop understanding and meaning to create new knowledge. My student-centered approach seeks to maintain an active learning environment by delivering information and ideas, utilizing experiential approaches for the application of knowledge, and exercising components that require reflection of new knowledge. These areas collectively contribute to fulfilling learning goals of: an understanding of course concepts, an ability to integrate and apply knowledge in various avenues, the capacity to care about and relate to content, and a better understanding of their own learning processes. These approaches and strategies work together to promote the active learning environment that produces significant and effective learning experiences. Assessment Assessment is an essential part of an effective learning experience, consisting of the evaluation of the aspects and needs of students, courses, and programs. The purpose of assessment is for me to gauge, support, and improve the student learning experience. This is possible due to the ongoing formative assessment process of creating and implementing various forms of assessment and interpreting the results in order to make informed decisions that address the diverse needs of students, key areas of learning and development, and learning goals and outcomes. Assessments provide me with the data needed to ensure that the student is consistently the focus of the learning experience. Communication Communication is another facet of the learner-focused teaching approach. I am committed to ensuring that every communication with students is clear, focused, and supportive. My communication is timely and promotes an effective student learning experience, whether the avenue is by e-mail, telephone, discussions, or the feedback that I provide. I am committed to providing detailed assessment feedback that is both focused and clear in order to guide students’
- 2. efforts, promote learning and student success. Furthermore, my communicative responsibilities also extend outside of the classroom. Communication with other educators for exchanging data and pedagogical techniques is beneficial for the improvement student learning at an institutional level, consistent with the scholarship of teaching and learning philosophy. Teaching with the aspects of these three areas helps me fulfill my responsibility as an educator to ensure that every aspect of my instruction contributes to a climate that promotes learning and guides students through significant learning experiences. I strive to teach with clarity and encouragement that makes this learning climate possible. I look forward to guiding students in their learning experiences.