My Philosophy of Teaching

Gerald W. Williams

gwilli@dpu.ac.th

Knowing an answer is NOT the most important thing...

Knowing How to arrive at an answer is the most important thing...

"Tell me the answer and I will never remember it."

"Let me discover the answer for myself and I will never forget .it." Anonymous

Our basis of accountability in teaching should be whether the education we are providing our students is preparing them for the real world, in essence, the world of work. Our curriculum should be, no, must be geared toward imparting our students with useable workplace skills. Toward this end we must provide them (our students) with the proper tools and the knowledge of how to properly use those tools. Business English is one of those tools.

We must not forget that we are now in the age of information technology and that we are part of a globalized world. We must not cling to old ideas and theories, but introduce new ways of doing things, and yes, new ways of teaching.

I believe that teaching is not about what you do to students, but about what you do for them. A teacher cannot force a student to learn, but they can create an atmosphere where they want to learn. Learning is a very personal thing. Each student learns in a different way, and in a class of forty students you might have forty different ways of taking in the same piece of information. I don't feel real learning can be achieved by the traditional teacher centered approach to instruction. I say real learning to differentiate from rote memorization of facts and figures.

Real learning means the student has internalized the concept and can apply it in other situations. Like a hand-tool placed in a toolbox is reached for again and again in different situations. We must show our students how to think.

I believe for real learning to take place, the following conditions must be present: Learning must be relevant, it must be person_, and it must be fun.

Relevant because students need to understand why the information is important to them. The question "How are we going to use this in the real world?" is a valid question and is one that teachers need to answer. If we as teachers cannot answer that question, maybe it shouldn't be taught.

We need to use material that is relevant to today's business world. I recently read an article where a principal at a school in the U.S., was talking about "Hobby Teaching". By this he meant teachers who have been teaching the same subject, using the same material for so long it has become a hobby to them. We don't want to become "Hobby Teachers".

.To be included with relevancy, I would add context. Teaching grammar rules (out of context) is a good example. While the student might remember the rule, he probably won't remember when to use it correctly.

Learning must also be personal. By this I mean each student must take responsibility for their own learning. I definitely believe in the view that when a student is told something, they soon forget it, but when they discover the answer for themselves, they will never forget it.

When we use the students L I in the classroom, we are basically giving them the answers. It might speed up the class if we use the L I to translate English grammar rules for instance, but the rule will not belong to the students because they didn't have to discover the answer for themselves. I believe it's best to use examples to show how the rule is used. I believe it is better to slow down and make sure everyone understands, than -to take shortcuts just to complete our class on time.

Making learning fun involves more than just using exciting activities in class. It also means using a hands on approach to learning. This is where class projects and research comes in. I believe students learn by doing, and learn best by doing things they are interested it. Making learning fun also means getting the students involved in the class and by showing that you the teacher care about them. To this end, the teacher must not only be fair to all students, but must be seen to be fair.

I am a firm believer in teamwork and peer learning. One of the first things I do at the start of a new class, is to split them into teams. I then have each team decide on a company name, a product or service, and what each team member's job and responsibilities are. We then use this company in class discussions and projects.

I encourage my students to use the Self Access Language Learning Center, in addition to the required activities, to research things that interest them personally. I also encourage the use of the library and internet. I give the students credit for any extra work they do, and a small gift at the end of the semester to the one that has done the most.

I don't believe it serves any useful purpose to cover a student's class or home work in red Xs and Circles. I believe it is better to talk about the common errors in class, without mentioning any names. On the other hand, if a student or team does exceptional work, I feel it motivates the others to do better work if I mention their name in class.

My major aim in each class period is to get students to speak for the majority of the time. I want them to express their ideas and opinions on different subjects, and I want them to feel that their opinions matter. I don't settle for any student not participating in class. My number one rule, which is repeated again and again throughout the term, is "Talk to me". That means every one in the classroom. .

As teachers, I feel it is our responsibility to set an example for our students. Not only in our use of language, but in punctuality and work habit's.

Am I doing a good job? I would like to think the answer rests with my students....

(This is a work in progress….)