TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
April Joy Villagonzalo – TESOL Master Completer, October 2020
As an ESL teacher, I believe that my primary role is to nurture and encourage the lifelong learning of my students. Through interactive activities, games, classroom discussions, and even the use of humor. I hope to prompt the students to think creatively and explore their natural curiosity. I want them to feel that no question is too silly to ask. I want them to feel that there’s nothing wrong with expressing oneself despite the language challenges or barrier. I want them to feel that making mistakes in pronouncing words and grammar is fine, and can be used for their development and growth. I want them to feel how fun it is to learn the language. I am strongly committed to regularly assessing students’ comfort and engagement in addition to their mastery of the lessons. I believe that regular testing of concepts is important, but students also need to feel like confident, resilient learners. I praise students not just for mastery of the lessons learnt but also for critical thinking, effort, curiosity, and creativity. I lead by example, always working to improve my own skills in these areas as an educator.
Creating a welcoming space for learning is so important, especially for the youngest learners. As an ESL teacher, I am acutely aware that I am defining the English experience of my students. I work hard to make that experience a positive, nurturing one. I want them to feel that learning the language is a no-boring thing at all. I want them to learn the language by heart, by a constant communication and through a constant practice; so, when they step out from the school, they could use the language confidently to everyone.
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