My Teaching Philosophy

Teaching is more than just filling the student’s head with enough knowledge to pass a test – standardized tests and chapter tests alike. Many people complain that there are too many standardized tests and that there’s too much emphasis placed on standardized tests. In many schools, however, there is also too much emphasis on chapter tests as well. Elementary school should be about developing students’ study habits and teaching them to be a part of a society outside their own families. It is important that students build an academic foundation and gain basic knowledge in each subject. However, as the Chinese proverb says, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life." If we can teach students at a young age how to study and gain more knowledge, they will be much more successful in other classrooms where they can learn more academic material.
        Teachers should focus on the social curriculum in a classroom as much as they focus on the academic one, especially at a young age. Learning how to get along with other classmates is very important. Teachers need to make sure they accommodate for different needs while being cautious not to discriminate because of them. Although teaching is in the name, teachers should also be open to learn from the students. Teachers should be open to students’ ideas and should respect each of the students as individuals. Teachers should work on getting to know the students at a personal level instead of just by the students’ academic works. This will create a relationship between the student and the teacher that can greatly enhance the student's learning.

email comments to echae@usc.edu