Personal Philosophy
For as long as I can remember I have loved to learn. The hunger for new knowledge has always been
a driving force in my life. As a young
child I found a priceless treasure which was the library. I could read about anything at the library
and books could take me anywhere I wanted to go.
As a librarian and teacher I carry that quest for knowledge with me and
hope to instill the same desire in my students.
I see myself today as a lifelong learner and as a companion to my
students along the way of learning. Many
times in class I research something new so that the students and I can learn
together. Very often they don’t know
what questions to ask until they start their research. The main objective in my teaching is for my
students to become information literate.
I want them to have “the ability to identify an information need, and
then to find, collect, organize, evaluate, and use the information.” I
believe that the value of learning this cannot be overestimated. This empowers students gives them the
tools to research any subject.
In my classes I emphasize critical thinking
and how it applies to evaluating resources and using them in a profitable way
in order to optimize their time. I often
incorporate hands on activities because I find that this facilitates learning
and helps students gain confidence. It
also helps students to take ownership of their research needs. Providing students clear instructions and
objectives during a class is important to me.
Since students learn in different ways it is always my goal to offer
diverse styles of teaching to benefit as many students as possible. I also work hard to create a safe and secure
environment where students can start at their own level and not be embarrassed
about what they don’t know.
My skills as a teacher are constantly
evolving. I am always seeking different teaching methods
to connect with students and to facilitate learning. I find joy in trying new
activities and seeing students gain that glimmer of understanding that comes
when they finally “get it”. Those teachable
moments spur me on to honing my teaching skills and philosophy. The conferences I attend, as well as keeping
up with current professional books, listservs and blogs constantly provide me
with new ideas in this endeavor.
