In reflecting on the course and on the various activities and readings that we engaged with, I have come to realize that it is important to examine and to be consciously aware of how your personal philosophies shape your instruction in the classroom. I feel that making my philosophy clear to others started with making it clear to myself. This certainly took some thinking. At first, I was a little daunted with the research articles, but the Teaching Perspectives Inventory sparked my interest as it was something totally new to me. I found that this helped me to understand my fundamental beliefs more clearly and allowed other elements of my philosophy to fall into place. I feel that I will continue to reflect on this philosophy in the coming years. So far it has been useful in understanding why I have a preference for certain types of instructional experiences, and not others.
I also reaffirmed my belief in Universal Design for Learning as a very useful tool for planning instruction. I will certainly continue to use this framework to improve lessons going forward. I was grateful that I could plan a unit plan that I will actually be able to use. I am looking forward to trying it out next year!
hwinsnes
November 22, 2023 — 5:11 pm
Hi Geoff
I agree, our teaching philosophies guide our actions and our planning, whether intentional or not. They must be transparent to us and others as we continue our education journey. I know that my philosophy has evolved and continues to evolve in my career. Just like our students, we are always learning. Good luck in your future classes! Maybe we will run into each other again.