Teaching Philosophy
Instructor Allomother
Establishing new realms for education, continuous building of teaching practices, encouraging and stimulating thinking, introducing critical thinking and analysis beyond textbooks and the classroom while maintaining a structured, professional yet energetic, relaxed environment, I coin myself an Instructor allomother. As a Black woman, I absorbed this title as a result of my historical narrative and personal experiences.
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Allomothers and othermothers are women who aid and support biological mothers by sharing responsibility in child-rearing practices (Collins, 2000; Guiffrida, 2005). This type of relationship began when African Americans were brought to the United States in slavery. To be a mother to other children of slaves was essential as mothers had to work, were orphaned because their mothers were sold or died. Later, this othermothering extended to other household and community members. Often good teachers in Black segregated schools were those who went above and beyond formal training. These teachers were often viewed as extended family members. The teachers would often visit the homes of the children they taught to offer additional assistance to both the student and their parents. This was imperative to check the vitals of the community. In addition, this philosophy was not removed from higher education institutions. This philosophy of allomothers also stretched out to Black faculty at colleges and went above academics but to their social and psychological development (Guiffrida, 2005).
The othermother persona embodies my professional experience, my commitment to scholarship, and most of all my dedication to budding scholars. My mission is to introduce information to students by laying a foundation, to offer opportunities for discovery and knowledge in an experiential environment. It is my desire for students to not only obtain data but to also gain a sense of self and community awareness upon leaving my classroom.
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I have had wonderful opportunities to teach in a variety of classes in multiple settings, including developmental writing, composition writing, creative writing, technical writing, technology, humanities and soft skills in business settings. I have also worked as a teaching mentor with graduate students, a position that involved instruction in methods of composition teaching and development of course materials, and I have been honored with being asked to evaluate and observe fellow lecturers. Among the most enlightening and satisfying experiences for me as a teacher have been instructing students on an individual basis during instructor-student conferences. Even as a classroom instructor, I find that I always look forward to the individual one-on-one conferences that I hold with my students several times during the semester. I believe this interaction to be essential to their development.
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My continuous and ongoing practice in the classroom has provided me with the inspiration as well as a kind laboratory for future teaching and research. Though many teachers have a philosophy of education, I believe many teachers differ in regard to the amount of effort they devote to the development of their personal philosophy. Questions I feel that need to be considered when becoming a teacher are: What is my primary role as teacher or instructor? Am I the subject matter expert who efficiently and effectively gives knowledge to students? Am I a teacher is a skilled technician who can manage many students at once? Or am I the teacher, a helpful adult, who establishes caring relationships with students and nurtures their growth in needed areas? In the academic setting, I view myself as the helpful adult. I perceive teaching and instruction as an art, “a spontaneous, unrehearsed, and or creative encounter between teacher and student,” (Parkay & Stanford 115)
as well as a special “calling” requested only of those who are chosen by an internal force. My experience in teaching has taught and forced me to develop, borrow, and learn through trial and error my specific teaching tactics and effective student learning style (This philosophy of course continues to grow as I continue to grow and learn as an Instructor.
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The instructor allomother approach to teaching has encouraged and motivates students to think, reflect, and write critically about their experiences, both in my class and elsewhere, while knowing they have an advocate in their corner. My ultimate goal is always to promote intellectual engagement with cultural texts but also to help them become more discerning readers, listeners, and observers outside of the classroom setting. I want my students to become forceful thinkers and writers about the world around them.