My philosophy and beliefs of teaching is to have fun first, then to inspires the students to learn by themselves. As for the question, “Is teaching a craft or a science?”I do believe it is a mixture of both. You need to know the science first, then develop your own method. Science is not absolutely right, and it may be challenged all the time. So, you need enhance your own craft to face different situations and requirement. The last question about the “scientific knowledge”for an ESL program, my opinion goes to that teachers should be familiar with educational psychology. Because we are humans, teachers have to understand the intention or cause of the students; then they can stand in the same position. What I mean is to know what students need and feel, so they will trust teachers and learn heartily.
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Alice Chiu said,
March 20, 2007 @ 10:31 am
Yes, I agree that building mutual trust between the teacher and the learners is very important. While we need to be familiar with the subject knowledge, we can’t ignore the interactive part in our teaching. It’s human beings that we are dealing with. Therefore, taking care of the students’ feelings about learning is our responsibility. Having a good relationship with our learners makes it eaiser for us to manage our classroom.
Shirley said,
March 24, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
I also agree that knowing teeagers well is the first step for teachers to do. Without understanding their languages, thoughts, and interests, there will be a gap between teachers and students. Then, the ongoing teaching and learning will be fruitless. Therefore, building a good relationship with our learners should be kept in mind!