TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

While there are many excellent teaching philosophies and theories, how is one able to pick the one that suits their teaching style? Principled Eclecticism seems to be a suitable choice for me, giving the ability to choose among the many teaching philosophies, theories, and methods out there for teachers (Richards & Rodgers, 2014). My class requires a book, Signing Naturally, which has a Functional Notational Model approach. This approach allows me to use the Target Language in the classroom. Classroom language, teaching, classroom interaction, group activities, homework, and video products will all be in American Sign Language (Smith, Lentz & Mikos, 2008). I have three different teaching methods to teaching; Direct Experience Method (DEM), Language Immersion and Total Physical Response (TPR). Direct Experience Method (DEM) design has small classrooms with up to 15 students for communication and learning. Students will sit in a circle and/or U-shape for visual accessibility. The presentation will be digital with pictures and as little English as possible to encourage students to use the Target Language. The instructor will point at pictures and involve the students with the opportunity to match signs with images. Students will practice and then respond when indicating a picture (Cokely & Baker-Sherk, 1991). Language Immersion allows the classroom to have access to ASL the entire time in the classroom (Richards & Rodgers, 2014). Total Physical Response enables the teacher to use tasks in the target language, and the student will have the opportunity to process what is being signed and perform the functions that are requested by the teacher (Brown & Lee, 2015). I understand that some of the students might struggle, but know that it will help the student's process and develop their target language in the classroom.