by

Beth Ann Bryant-Richards

 

 

Teaching is a collaborative problem solving activity, and I want to work with my students to find ways to help them succeed. As a teacher, my job is to discover how best to help students achieve their learning goals.

 

Philosophy

 

Teaching is rhetorical. If I had to choose a metaphor for my teaching philosophy, I would choose the rhetorical triangle. Rhetoric and discourse are the hallmarks of every authentic learning experience. My students are my audience, and I theirs. Through the exchange of respectful discourse, we come to an understanding, we read and think critically, we respond to writers as readers, and we write about what we know or have come to know. Giving students consistent and clear feedback allows the cycle to keep moving. The cycle never ends, nor should it.

 

Structured Flexibility

 

All humans like order. Structure helps students focus on the learning goals. Giving students rubrics and clear expectations helps them perform with less anxiety, and makes assessing their work less subjective. Students (myself included) appreciate and respect such feedback. Since I am a planner by nature, structure comes naturally to me, but I have learned that flexibility at given moments can also further the learning goals. Listening carefully to students has provided many opportunities for me to grab those moments when they happen. Put simply: I know where I want to go with my students (to the learning goals), and I will take any route to get there.

 

Lights! Camera! Action!

 

I love teaching for the same reason I love live theater: you never know what might happen. The actor may hit a high C during a song, or the student may make a comment or connection that leads to a revelation for the entire class.