While Im sure my beliefs about teaching will continue to be refined as I gain more

experience, I hold to two core values I will always cherish. As a passionate and active learner, its
vital for me to (1) foster this same kind of curiosity in my students and (2) create a safe learning
space where taking risks and making mistakes are valued. Both of these components make up my
teaching style and philosophy in life experiences as well as in the classroom. First, I believe that
one must experience failure in order to experience growth. Learning is a lifelong journey of trial
and error. Using failure as a process rather than a dead end is crucial to student success. For me,
teaching students to find their interests and passions will lead to a love of learning that they can
apply for a lifetime.
As a teacher of Speech and English, a goal of mine is to aid students in overcoming their
fears and challenges, whether that means becoming a confident public speaker or analytical
reader, skills that are necessary as they move on into higher education and the working world.
Creating a space where students can evaluate themselves constructively allows them to better
their skills and prepare for that same self-reflecting outside of the classroom. For example, as
part of a public speaking unit, I may choose to record the students speeches and let them
evaluate themselves accordingly. They can make the necessary changes and try again. I believe
that when looked at correctly, students can be taught to turn mistakes into success by taking
control of their own learning. With each mistake, they are able to ask the question, Why was
that wrong? What did I do well? It is the act of asking and answering these questions that
creates reflection and success for students as they try and try again. Allowing students to revise
completed work, create checklists, and helping them become their own best critic are strategies I
implement in the classroom to create student autonomy and a culture where risk taking is valued.
Additionally, I believe encouraging curiosity in students is necessary for the learning
process. Curiosity leads to discovery-a tangible and almost magical aftereffect of learning. By
honoring students unique thoughts and processes, I allow for natural curiosity in the classroom. I
support the respectful challenging and questioning of themselves, others, and society. The idea of
teaching then becomes about what students want to learn versus what we force them to, while
still maintaining a structured curriculum. My goal is to help students develop a sense of mastery
and passion for the material by allowing them to use their creativity and make mistakes. First, I
structure the classroom to focus around their passions and curiosities. For example, as a projectbased summative assessment of a unit, I allow students the freedom of choosing how they want
to show their understanding. This can be in the form of a poster, creative writing, cooking, art,
demonstrations etc. By leaving the instructions open-ended, I encourage students to draw on
their own strengths and interests. The next time we have a project-based assessment, they are
required to choose something different, exercising their multitude of strengths and curiosities.
Its amazing what students can do if only we allow them to do so.
Secondly, I put strong emphasis on group work and try to implement it as much as
possible. Collaboration is the key to as students learn from each other and use skills such as
critical thinking and prediction. When students take on different roles in a group, they begin
forming opinions and sharing them. Understanding and appreciating others opinions forces them
to be respectful to one another, but also fosters a curiosity for differences. By applying inquirybased learning strategies, my hope is that students are eventually compelled to explore further
and have intrinsic motivation to do so.
Creating a space that values curiosity and reflection of mistakes puts learning into the
students hands, while the instructor can leave behind the traditional role of delegator and
become a partner in student learning. Fostering these components in the classroom is what I hope

will inspire students to keep being curious, keep learning and keep challenging themselves as
they enter society and become contributing members to their community.