Statement of Philosophy

To begin I should tell you that I currently inhabit two distinct but
interconnected professional contexts as a teacher. I teach young learners English
as a Foreign Language and I train teachers at workshops and seminars with English
Language Teaching as the central focus.
I believe in Communicative Language Teaching, Promoting Intercultural
Communication Competence, lowering the Affective Filter, constructing studentcentered learning experiences and providing context for Social Reconstructionism. I
believe I would have begun to fulfill my mission in education if my learners:

enjoy learning
feel they have succeeded in some aspect during class
improve their language skills
improve their cognitive skills
expand their intellectual toolkit for inquiry and reflection
begin to make inquiries into reality
begin to challenge the status quo
begin to change their viewpoint
develop their intercultural communication competence, leading to empathy
and ultimately understanding

In order to accomplish this mission I need to practice self-analysis through

meditative mind states to examine my methodologies. I need to be a role model for
students, living a healthy, inquisitive life of inquiry emerging from a moral
foundation which teaches caring. I need to concentrate on how my mood and
energy transmits the aperture level of the Affective Filter, so that I can provide a
relaxed, fun, stress-free, motivational atmosphere of learning. I need to be a
servant leader, and realize who I am serving. I need to provide a time and space of
quiet reflection for enjoyable reading so that students become lifelong learners.
I would have begun to fulfill my mission in facilitating a professional
development session if my education colleagues at the session:

understand my educational philosophies and how they frame the

application of methodology
feel that they were participating in a safe and inspirational environment,
free to give honest input into the session and help determine the direction
gain new knowledge and reflect on their professional existence

At these often fluid sessions I have always thanked the participants for
joining and say they have chosen a career well because teaching is a creative
pursuit. Perhaps I should say that it is a profession defined by innovation where
creativity is constantly encouraged in the learning process. Professional
development sessions are where we as teachers help each other innovate.
Noam Chomsky wants us to take a lesson from Galileo. If you are willing to
be puzzled you can learn. If youre not willing to be puzzled, to copy down what
someone says, you become a replica of someone elses mind (Chomsky, 2013).