TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Values

The Role of the ESL Teacher

Ms. Shaffield's personal philosophy is based on three beliefs about the purpose of teaching:

Fulfilling an essential community role by assisting others through the second language acquisition process
Inspiring a love of lifelong learning by making the grade-level curriculum accessible and meaningful
Giving students tools to become proficient language users and succeed in life, career, and higher education

The instructor's approach to instruction is also influenced by research, reflection, and evidence-based principles:

Student Success¹

Every student can be successful in accomplishing their personal and academic goals if they follow the instructor's "Guidelines for Success" (p. 15)³ and fully utilize the descriptive rubric-based grading system

The Goal

The overarching instructional goal is "to [maximize learning]" by relating curricular language and content to
students' background knowledge, personal interests, college and career goals, and real world applications¹

The Classroom

The learning environment supports a safe, equitable, respectful atmosphere in which students can voice their thoughts and opinions, interact collaboratively, and develop their English proficiency through active participation

The Curriculum

To promote holistic language acquisition, equal attention is given to listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Students receive appropriate supports and are taught using meaningful, authentic, and differentiated approaches for diverse learning styles including "inquiry-based" education¹ and "sheltered instruction" (p. 81)²

ReferenceS

¹ Marshall, J. C. (2013). Chapter 1. What are your values, practices, and actions as a teacher? In Succeeding with inquiry in science and math classrooms. Retrieved
August 11, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/113008/chapters/What-Are-Your-Values,-Practices,-and-Actions-as-a-Teacher¢.aspx

² Otto, B. (2014). Language development in early childhood education (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

³ Sprick, R. S. (2013). Discipline in the secondary classroom: A positive approach to behavior management (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand.