Teaching is a vitally important task for a university professor, and I pursue it actively in my academic career. While research leads one on the path of unraveling new wonders of science and solving interesting problems, teaching is the means of passing on and sharing this accumulated knowledge with coming generations.
Teachers influence our lives in numerous ways: instilling in us love for a particular field, affecting our career choices, and frequently teaching us not only hard scientific facts but also cultivating the passion, curiosity, persistence, and work skills that are necessary in pursuit of knowledge. This highly responsible vocation is also extremely rewarding. Seeing one's students excel and thrive is a wonderful and fulfilling experience. I witnessed this to have happened many times in my family of teachers: my parents and parents-in-law are retired high school and elementary school teachers in China.
I want to encourage my students to have such an influence on the lives of children they will be teaching in the future. With this passion, enthusiasm, knowledge, and skill, I came to the elementary teacher education program in SUNY Cortland. I shared my enlightenment with my students through modeling, sharing, and reflecting.
I base my teaching philosophy on the assumption that students can accomplish more than they believe possible and that instructors should focus more on promoting higher order thinking skills in a thoughtful and democratic classroom. Five beliefs have guided my teaching approach. I believe the following:
Students learn best when they are actively engaged in learning.
Students learn best when they are learning about things that hold meaning to them and when they have choices within their learning.
Students learn best in a classroom that has a strong sense of community.
All students are unique and should be taught according to the ways they learn best.
Students learn more when they are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences.
In the following, I will explore each belief in more details.
I firmly believe that children learn best when they are actively engaged in learning. This principle does not apply merely to children. All learners at all ages learn best when they are actually involved in the learning process. In the courses I teach, I never let lectures and powerpoint presentations dominate my instruction. I provide opportunities for small group activities, experiential exercises, and interactions among learners. I help students realize that they can make social studies come alive.
The first belief guides my teaching in the following ways:
My second claim of teaching and learning is that students learn best when they are learning about things that hold meaning to them and when they have choices within their learning. This belief influences my teaching in the following ways:
My third belief of education is that one learns best in a classroom that has a strong classroom community. Starting from day one, I share with students the three basic characteristics of a strong learning community, where students are provided opportunities to show themselves fully, to get to know each other, to work together and help each other. This belief guides my instruction in the following ways:
I believe that children learn best if they feel they are learning in a supportive classroom community. I modeled this belief in my own teaching. I provided students opportunities to get to know each other and express themselves fully. Students are encouraged to work together and help each other. The trip to Raquette Lake is an experience that all instructors in my block have planned as the starting point for the development of a learning community. This three-day experience at Raquette Lake is full of scheduled activities, many of which are new for many of our students. For example, most students have never gone cross country skiing, walked on the frozen lake, had a sauna experience and jumped into the ice hole, gone canoeing and kayaking, taken challenging rope courses, or observed ice-cutting. The experience of participating in these activities with faculty and other students creates a basis of common experience and knowledge that serves as the foundation of a learning community. Reflecting on the Raquette Lake experience helped students consider how to integrate outdoor environmental themes into their curriculum and instruction.
The fourth belief is that each learner is unique and should be taught according to the ways he or she learns best.
The last belief is all about reflections. Reflections are an integral part of the teacher education program. I learn more about my teaching and learning through reflections. Dr. Cynthia Benton, chair of my department, came to observe my class in fall 2005. Here are her observation notes and comments. I was greatly encouraged by her support and constructive suggestions.
Following are links to specific assignments in my courses. They are all available in course syllabi as well.
