Teachers College, Columbia University
TCSOL Program
TCSOL Program
The New School,
New York City
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:
When I started language teaching, I saw my role as that of a bridge—a bridge between languages and between cultures. However, as I engage more in the teaching of both English and Chinese, I feel that a bridge is too passive an image. Now the image that comes to mind is that of an extended hand.
I believe that I have several responsibilities to start with. The first is to learn all I can about teaching reading, listening, writing, and speaking (pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, skills). Another of my jobs is to develop a wide variety of effective teaching techniques and engage in thorough preparation. My third responsibility is to cultivate the desire to be a life-long learner—to continue my own professional development by reading articles and books in the field, attending workshops and conferences, and learning from colleagues and students from every teaching and observation opportunity.
Then my job, as a language teacher, is to bring all that to bear when I offer an extended hand to my students. It is up to them to bring their own interest, commitment, enthusiasm, curiosity, and personal motivation when they accept (or not) my outstretched hand.
When I started language teaching, I saw my role as that of a bridge—a bridge between languages and between cultures. However, as I engage more in the teaching of both English and Chinese, I feel that a bridge is too passive an image. Now the image that comes to mind is that of an extended hand.
I believe that I have several responsibilities to start with. The first is to learn all I can about teaching reading, listening, writing, and speaking (pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, skills). Another of my jobs is to develop a wide variety of effective teaching techniques and engage in thorough preparation. My third responsibility is to cultivate the desire to be a life-long learner—to continue my own professional development by reading articles and books in the field, attending workshops and conferences, and learning from colleagues and students from every teaching and observation opportunity.
Then my job, as a language teacher, is to bring all that to bear when I offer an extended hand to my students. It is up to them to bring their own interest, commitment, enthusiasm, curiosity, and personal motivation when they accept (or not) my outstretched hand.