| Joan C. King | ||
| Resume
- Philosophy - |
I am excited to take up teaching as my second career. My primary objective
as a teacher of secondary English is to encourage students to journey
confidently to the unexplored edge of their ideas, to express those ideas
well, and to respect the views of others. My classroom is a place where
the emotions and meanings of old and new texts come alive with humor,
energy and critical inquiry. I view myself as a teacher of the art of
language and also the integration of language competencies with everyday
life. This view enables me to have more fun and connect more to the experiences
of the students. I see my teaching role as part mentor, part meeting planner, part village
idiot. In the role of mentor, I am a container of knowledge, experience,
and other relevant content. I can use my contents to initiate exploration,
challenge students intellectually, and tee up learning situations for
students of various learning styles and to help students who get stuck.
In the role of meeting planner, I orchestrate. I set objectives and envision
a flow that students can navigate in order to meet them. I prepare lessons
that enable an organized chaos to ensue in the classroom. In the role
of village idiot, I ask questions that stimulate thinking. I gently challenge.
During student answers, I listen with respect and fascination. In executing these three roles, I seek to foster an appreciation for great works of literature and stimulate students to create their own great works. As important, I lead my students in the development of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking skills, collaboration, group problem solving abilities, and the ability to study and to learn. As in my first successful career, I seek to achieve high levels of professionalism, collaborate with colleagues, and learn continuously. I measure my success by the level of engagement and progress of my students. If my students challenge themselves and rise to new levels of skill mastery, curiosity, and ability to learn still more, I am an effective teacher. |