8/13/2019 COL-Phylosophy Statement - Juan Diego Reyes - July 2012

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Juan Diego Reyes

Current Goal: To become a College Spanish Instructor

Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Teaching is a profession which allows one to influence many lives. It is because of this opportunity totouch lives that I have ecie to become a teacher. I unerstan that the monetary benefits are not the

greatest! yet the thought of inspiring stuents to learn rives me forwar.

"If I can reach out an touch #ust one person...!" wrote the Spanish $hilosopher %iguel e &namuno!

Rector of the &niversity of Salamanca an $rofessor of Classics.

I believe that it is the tas' of the teacher to be a role moel an a mentor! an to enable each stuent toreali(e his or her iniviual potential. It is important to teach stuents to be inepenent thin'ers an

responsible for their own learning. The teacher acts as a facilitator to 'nowlege an iscovery. I believe

that teachers can ma'e an enormous ifference in the lives an futures of their stuents.

I believe that the stuy of a foreign language serves many purposes. )eyon learning Spanish for the

practical purposes of communication! travel! stuy abroa! or wor'! what stuents gain from stuying alanguage they can use no matter what they o or where they go. They gain an awareness of the variety

of cultures beyon their own. They learn that language is a reflection of the way the min thin's an

orers its ieas. The stuy of a foreign language can ma'e a lasting impression on stuents for years tocome. I try to respect the many iniviual reasons stuents have for stuying Spanish. I strive to be

aware of the many ifferent learning styles! an employ whatever metho or tool is best suite to the

learning tas' at han.

If I can translate any e*periences or life lessons that I learne while stuying in +urope! South ,merica

an at the &niversity of Te*as at San ,ntonio! it will be that learning never ens an to be professionalin all aspects of my life. %y teaching style an techni-ues are evolving every ay as I learn throughprofessional evelopment! by stuying my peers! an most importantly! by listening. Teaching is a

learning e*perience. I learn to be fle*ible in my methoology an approach! top eal with unusual

stuents an learning strategies! an to communicate better every time I teach. I learn that every stuenthas a story. They have ifferent abilities an talents! an something valuable to contribute. It is the

responsibility of the teacher to respect those ifferences an help stuents to unerstan that as well!

both about themselves an others.

%y ob#ective as a teacher is to motivate my stuents towars a level of inepenence where they

evelop a esire to learn an thin' for themselves. To reach this en! I rely upon many activities an

personal s'ills. I also strive to promote cross cultural awareness an appreciation. Technology is one ofthe most important tools an effective teacher can use in the classroom to aress ifferent learning

styles! to create a prouctive learning environment! an to increase stuent motivation. I believe that my

enthusiastic! cultural technology approach to teaching Spanish enables stuents to ac-uire languages'ills in a manner that 'eeps them intereste an motivate! an re-uires their own critical thin'ing of

iscussion points which ma'es their learning their own.