Richard

Rate $59
Response 1h

$59/hr

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English
Creative writing
Redaction
English Literature
Poetry
French literature

High School English teacher with a degree in Professional and Technical Writing, and over 30 years experience in the corporate world.

English
Creative writing
Redaction
English Literature
Poetry
French literature

Lesson location

- online

About Richard

I been teaching in the classroom for 5 years, as well as raising my 2 children to be college level proficient in all aspects of communication in English. My passion is teaching students to be competent and effective writers using classical and modern texts as a curriculum base.

About the lesson

My Philosophy of Education
As Tennyson said in Ulysses, “I am a part of all that I have met.” My mom taught me that every teacher, and parents are the first and possibly most influential teachers, should strive to give everything they have to those under their tutelage. The goal being to bring their students to the level that the teachers themselves have reached so that students can then surpass them and go further. From over thirty years of biblical research I have learned that a teacher must first show his/her students what is available. Next the students must be taught how to take possession of the knowledge/skill and how to make it their own. Finally, the teacher must show them how to apply the knowledge/skill to help themselves and others. Twenty-six years of marriage and raising two wonderful children has taught me that education is a do it together enterprise involving parent, teacher, and student. Most important of all, fifty-seven years of life and counting, continue to show me that education is far more than just academics.

All of us see the world through our own lenses that are coloured by our individual experiences and shaped by the teaching we receive and the examples we see. With genuine love and support from those who teach in all aspects of life, those lenses can remain soft and pliable, able to continue to learn and adapt, to add more hues to the colours in our lenses. On the other hand, intractability and intolerance in teachers can harden those lenses and limit the range of the colour spectrum available to the student. Ultimately the direction is determined by the student, but the teachers throughout the life of that student can greatly help or hinder a positive outcome. As a teacher, it is my duty to provide the love, support, and instruction that will help make the lenses of my students soft and pliable, and that will present an ever-broadening array of hues for my students to add to their lenses. I, as the classroom leader, am responsible to set the standards and to be the example of tolerance, inclusion, and respect for all, both inside and outside of the school environment.

My wife often says that if it wasn’t for people the world would be perfect, and she is probably right. However, a world without people would also be missing so much: interaction, companionship, innovation, appreciation, and invention to name but a few things. The purpose of education, for me, is to broaden the scope of the students’ lenses, to open their eyes to new information and ideas, new hopes and dreams, new possibilities for their lives. To achieve this, I believe that a holistic approach to education is essential. Just as, in my opinion, reading, writing and speaking cannot be taught as effectively when taught as separate elements, so education must include, and at all levels, instruction for the body, the mind, the soul, and the spirit. By this I mean that true education encompasses academics, physical skills, creative expression, and spiritual training. Failure to educate in any of these areas will limit the range of hues available to the student.

My mom drilled into me and my brothers that attitude determines outcome. To get positive results, approach each situation with a positive attitude. As the leader in the classroom I must, at all times, project a positive attitude toward the learning, and toward the students. Instilling and encouraging positivity in my classroom provides a fertile site for the growth of all who enter, myself included. It is my responsibility as an educator to supply a safe environment where all ideas are open for discussion, where positive creativity in all forms is encouraged, where physical skills that pertain to the curriculum are taught, and where a community attitude of learning together is continually reinforced. My job is to provide the knowledge and practical skills necessary for the students as they progress through the education system and through life, to challenge them in ways that will spawn their creativity, and to provide positive outlets for their creative expression. This will not happen in my classroom alone. It will take working with a team of educators emphasizing various disciplines to provide a well-rounded education that can meet the diverse needs of any student population.

One of my ministry teachers taught us that it is our responsibility to learn to recognize truth in word and deed wherever we find it in life, no matter the age or station of the person who issues it. As a person I am to embrace every opportunity to learn from anyone in my life, including students. As a teacher I am to be specifically aware of occasions to learn from colleagues, embedded instruction, workshops, and courses that will expand the hues of my lenses so that I can be more effective at doing the same for my students. The desire to continue to learn and grow must burn within me so that I can project that desire for my students.

“The day I stop learning is the day I want to die. If there is nothing new to learn then what is the point of living.” Margaret Hodge (my mom)

The old adage that if you fail to plan then you are planning to fail is especially true as a teacher. The key to preparation is accurate knowledge. It behooves the teacher to have a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject prior to formulating lessons. A well-planned lesson provides a structure and direction necessary for a positive outcome. Only proper preparation will provide a clear vision of the goal for me and my students. When I am prepared for a lesson with comprehensive knowledge and a good plan I am able to adapt and innovate as questions/needs/worthwhile tangents arise due to students’ prior knowledge or their desire to learn a different aspect of the topic. Incorporating the proven strategies that I learn from colleagues, embedded instruction, workshops, and courses will enable me to be more effective in the teaching to the diverse interests and abilities of all my students.

Finally, as different students have different learning styles requiring the utilization of a variety of learning strategies, so, I believe, a variety of assessment options are required. For me the 3-2-1 exit ticket is a great tool to consistently evaluate learning and discover areas of need and further interest in my students. However, rather than simply having them write full sentences every time, I think it is better to mix it up on occasion and give them options to answer by drawing a picture or cartoon, writing a poem or rap lyric, or switch it up and do 2-3-1. For me, alternate assessment methods such as audio exams, computer versions of written exams, and tactile implementation of concepts can be useful methods of evaluation, especially for non-traditional students. The focus, for me, is to design assessments that will reinforce, for the students, what they have learned rather than testing for what they don’t know. Assessments that will most help the students, I believe, are those generated at the classroom and department levels within a school to meet the requirements of the standards established by the institution.
Richard Hodge

High School English teacher with a degree in Professional and Technical Writing, and over 30 years experience in the corporate world.

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About Richard

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

online

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