my teaching journey essay

Essay on My Teaching Experience

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Teaching Experience in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Teaching Experience

Introduction.

Teaching is a rewarding job that offers an opportunity to shape young minds. My experience as a teacher has been both challenging and fulfilling.

Starting My Journey

I began my teaching journey as a volunteer at a local school. It was a valuable experience, teaching me patience and communication skills.

Challenges and Triumphs

Teaching is not always easy; it comes with its set of challenges. However, watching my students grow and learn has been the greatest reward.

In conclusion, my teaching experience has been a journey of learning, growth, and satisfaction.

250 Words Essay on My Teaching Experience

Teaching is an intricate and multifaceted profession that requires a deep understanding of subject matter and pedagogy, complemented by a profound commitment to nurturing students. My teaching experience has been a journey of self-discovery and growth, a continuous process of refining skills and techniques to stimulate learners effectively.

Personal Growth and Development

My initial teaching days were marked by a blend of enthusiasm and anxiety. Over time, I learned to convert this nervous energy into a constructive force, enhancing my ability to engage students. I discovered that teaching is not merely about disseminating information, it’s a process of fostering curiosity, instilling critical thinking skills, and inspiring lifelong learning.

Embracing Diversity

In my classroom, I encountered a diverse group of learners, each with unique strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. This diversity necessitated a flexible teaching approach, tailored to individual needs. I learned to create an inclusive environment that respects and values differences, fostering a sense of belonging for all students.

Challenges and Rewards

Teaching is not devoid of challenges. From dealing with disengaged students to managing classroom dynamics, I faced numerous hurdles. However, the rewards far outweighed the challenges. Witnessing a student’s ‘aha’ moment, observing their progress, and contributing to their personal and academic development was deeply fulfilling.

In conclusion, my teaching experience has been a profound journey of learning and growth. It has reinforced my belief in the transformative power of education and the pivotal role of teachers in shaping young minds. As I continue to evolve in my teaching career, I look forward to more opportunities for self-improvement and to making a positive impact on my students’ lives.

500 Words Essay on My Teaching Experience

Teaching is not merely a profession; it is a vocation that demands a deep sense of commitment and a passion for learning and sharing knowledge. My teaching experience has been an enlightening journey, filled with both challenges and rewards. It has provided me with a profound understanding of the dynamics of the educational process and the significance of creating a conducive learning environment for students.

The Beginning of My Journey

My teaching journey began as a graduate assistant during my master’s program. Initially, I was overwhelmed by the responsibility that came with the role. However, I soon realized that teaching was not just about imparting knowledge but also about inspiring curiosity and fostering a love for learning. This realization made me approach teaching with a renewed perspective, focusing not just on the content but also on the process of learning.

As with any journey, my teaching experience was fraught with challenges. The diverse backgrounds and learning styles of the students posed a significant hurdle. I had to devise innovative teaching strategies and employ differentiated instruction to cater to the varied needs of my students. Despite these challenges, the triumphs were numerous. The moments when a concept finally ‘clicked’ for a struggling student or when a class discussion evolved into a profound intellectual exchange were truly rewarding. These instances reaffirmed my faith in the transformative power of education.

Teaching as a Learning Experience

Teaching is a two-way process. As I strived to impart knowledge to my students, I also learned a great deal from them. Their unique perspectives and insightful questions often made me revisit and rethink my own understanding of certain concepts. This reciprocal process of learning and teaching enriched my intellectual growth and honed my pedagogical skills.

The Role of Technology

In the digital age, technology plays a crucial role in education. My teaching experience was no exception. I incorporated various technological tools into my teaching to enhance the learning experience. From using multimedia presentations to facilitate understanding to employing online platforms for collaborative learning, technology greatly augmented my teaching methods.

In conclusion, my teaching experience has been a transformative journey that has shaped my understanding of education and its role in society. It has taught me the importance of fostering a love for learning, the value of embracing diversity, and the significance of leveraging technology in education. As I continue my journey in the field of education, I carry with me the lessons learned and the experiences gained, ready to face the challenges and embrace the rewards that come my way.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Becoming a Teacher: A Never-Ending Journey

How to prepare for a career in education.

For as long as she could remember, Maria loved teaching. As a little girl, she would read to toddlers, play school with her friends, and explain the mysteries of the universe to anyone who would listen.

As a peer tutor in middle school, she discovered there was no better feeling than when someone she was working with finally grasped challenging concepts such as photosynthesis or the Pythagorean theorem. In high school, her favorite times were spent sharing with friends what she'd learned researching reports and projects on the Internet. As she faced choosing a college and career, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

The children of today who, like Maria, dream of becoming teachers have a lot to look forward to. The mysteries of how people learn are gradually being revealed through the careful scrutiny of scientists, researchers, and practicing teachers. A growing stock of new tools and strategies is enabling educators to be more effective than ever in meeting student needs. Slowly but surely, we're heading toward a time when teachers have the knowledge and freedom to help all children achieve at high levels.

For the next generation of teachers, getting there will be exciting, but it won't be easy. Education students will find that it's harder to become proficient; there's more to study, more to learn, more to practice. To get a glimpse of how best to prepare fledgling educators for this challenge, let's imagine what lies in store for Maria on her quest to become a teacher.

Learning the Basics

After lots of research, Maria settled on a five-year college program leading to a master of arts in teaching. She chose math as her major because she had always loved grappling with complex mathematical ideas and problems.

During her first years in college, Maria immersed herself in educational philosophy and research, studying the works of trailblazers such as John Dewey, Jean Piaget, and Maria Montessori. In courses on teaching practices and curriculum development, she learned ways to engage students in experiences that allow them to integrate skills into hands-on activities and to conduct their own inquiries and experiments. She explored how technologies such as the Internet and sophisticated computer simulations can open a whole new world of possibilities for classroom learning and make the curriculum more meaningful for students.

Her professors didn't lecture from textbooks or measure learning with multiple-choice tests. Instead, they modeled the strategies Maria herself would use as a teacher; they created learning opportunities that enabled their students to apply knowledge in real teaching situations.

Maria spent a lot of time in schools observing experienced teachers and working with students. These chances to apply her classwork meant she never found studying theory to be dull or abstract. On the contrary, she found it gave her a powerful set of lenses through which to view the classroom.

During one semester, she conducted a case study of John, a seven-year-old boy she tutored at a local school. As she observed him in class and at play, either in person or on videotape, she could see what she'd learned in her classes coming to life before her eyes.

She engaged in long discussions with her professors and fellow students about how John's physical and social development affected his academic performance and talked about how these areas could be supported and stretched. She noticed that the boy was proficient in some skills, such as building models, but struggled with others, like reading.

These observations helped her understand the usefulness of studying theories on different types of intelligences, such as those of educational researcher Howard Gardner. She concluded that one of her biggest challenges as a teacher would be to discover each student's unique strengths and find ways to use them to overcome the student's weaknesses.

The Fifth Year

Maria's fifth and final year of college was an internship at a professional-development school -- a middle school committed to providing state-of-the-art teacher preparation as well as state-of-the-art education for children. There, she joined a small team of student teachers under the guidance of both university faculty and expert teachers.

In seminars and in classrooms, the team examined ways to identify and accommodate different learning styles and needs, strategies for addressing misconceptions students hold about certain subjects, and approaches to common learning problems such as dyslexia.

Her classroom work, guided by a mentor team, included observing specific children and documenting their learning, evaluating lessons, tutoring and working with small groups, and sitting in on family conferences. She also took part in school and team planning meetings, visited homes and community agencies, planned field trips and curriculum segments, and taught lessons and short units. Finally, at the end of the year, she assumed responsibility for a class for a month.

This work was supplemented by reading and discussions of case studies of teaching. Some were drawn from an electronic database compiled by teachers all over the country; others were videotaped by teachers at her professional-development school.

These case studies enabled student teachers such as Maria to look at practice from many angles, examine how situations in the classroom arise from incidents in the past, see how strategies actually turn out, and understand the thinking teachers use to make decisions about students, subjects, and curriculum goals.

The combination of classroom work, research, and seminars during her yearlong internship helped Maria learn to observe and listen to students to understand their experiences, prior knowledge, and learning strengths. She discovered how to provide emotional support and develop teaching strategies responsive to their particular needs. She found out how to create engaging tasks that would stretch and motivate students, and how to manage the learning process so they could succeed at this challenging work.

She began to better juggle and balance the competing demands between individuals and groups, between curriculum goals and student interests, and between helping students versus challenging them. She developed the skills to reach out to students who might otherwise slip past or fall through the cracks. She learned always to question what she was doing and constantly to reexamine her own teaching and that of her colleagues.

A Beginning Teacher

When Maria finished her rich, exhausting internship year, she was ready to try her hand at what she knew would be an equally demanding first year of teaching. She submitted a portfolio of her college work for review by the state professional-standards board, passed the rigorous performance examination required for an initial teaching license, and was offered a teaching position at an innovative middle school.

In her first months on the job, Maria found herself delighted and intrigued by her students. Although she found teaching challenging, she did not feel overwhelmed by classroom-management issues the way beginning teachers once had. Her extensive internship had really prepared her to establish a well-functioning classroom from the start.

She still had a lot to learn, though. She was grateful for the support from her school district that included assigning her a mentor teacher and providing time off to continue her professional studies. The mentor teacher spent several hours each week observing and assisting Maria in her classroom, helping her examine and adjust teaching strategies.

In addition, all the district's mentor teachers and beginning teachers met periodically to discuss specific problems of practice. They interacted frequently via an online network, through which they could chat, post questions, and share ideas and materials.

Thanks to team teaching and flexible scheduling that provided her with periods when she was not responsible for students, Maria was able to regularly observe in other classrooms and meet with groups of teachers at her new school. She and other math and science teachers got together weekly to discuss curriculum plans and share demonstration lessons.

Maria also consulted often with her five-member teaching team, which consisted of teachers from different subject areas. This team used its time together to discuss interdisciplinary connections and the progress of the students for whom they shared responsibility.

When a concern arose about a particular student's progress, teachers in the team held a review session to examine the student's work and behavior using their pooled experiences and insights. Maria found that these sessions helped her learn about particular students and ways to address their needs, and also helped her better understand learning in general and specific strategies that strengthened her teaching.

Maria appreciated having access to her colleagues' knowledge and thinking about both subject-matter issues and student concerns. She never felt as though she was alone in her efforts to tackle the many challenges of beginning teaching. She always had peers to turn to for advice, counsel, and support.

A Lifetime of Learning

Maria soon became aware of the rich array of ongoing professional-development courses and experiences offered teachers by local universities, school districts, and even area businesses. In her spare moments at her computer, she sometimes cruised the rich offerings of teacher-oriented Web sites or visited forums where teachers and other experts were holding lively discussions about different aspects of learning.

As she understood more about such resources, she realized that her development as a teacher would never be over. Her experiences in college and during her first year on the job were the beginning, not the end, of her quest to be a better teacher. She was just starting a lifelong learning adventure.

Linda Darling-Hammond is Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Teaching and Teacher Education at Stanford University and a former member of Edutopia's National Advisory Board.

Vicky Saumell - My journey as a teacher: a winding road

My journey in the teaching career began when I was 18 years old and developed in two different areas at the same time over the years. I had just finished secondary school and I decided that I would study to become a PE teacher, which I did.

But I also needed to work to help at home while I was studying and I was offered a job teaching English to young learners in the private language school where I had studied. I felt insecure about it at first but confident that I could learn on the job and become better. I'd had a teacher, Alex Campo, who had been a role model to me and had indeed made me love the language! This went on for a few years until I graduated as a PE teacher. It was time to decide which area I wanted to focus on, English or PE?

What had started as a temporary job was now something I really loved and did not want to leave behind. I decided to keep working part-time jobs in both areas and eventually the balance was tipped towards English. I enrolled in Translation Studies and have never stopped studying and learning about English since that first teaching job in 1986.

However, it wasn’t till the late 90s that my perceptions as a teacher began to shift. I started to see myself as an agent of change in education. I got my first Coordination position in the secondary school where I was teaching (and still do!) and began to address a bigger picture than the classroom. I also became increasingly interested in technology and ways to use it in language learning. Technology helped me to connect with educators from other parts of the world and that literally changed my life as a teacher.

I also started feeling that I had lots of things I wanted to share with other teachers and with the invaluable help of my mentor, Susan Hillyard, I started making my first steps into conference presentations and materials writing. Then came the opportunity to publish something I had written with a major publisher and the Latin American Scholarship to attend the IATEFL conference in 2010.

These two events opened many doors so that I could further develop professionally and contribute my own experiences to the ELT community. I have since spent my time teaching, reflecting on my teaching, training teachers, writing and presenting my ideas. All of this has been made possible by sharing and exchanging experiences with teachers worldwide. Becoming a connected teacher, through social media and face to face interactions, has allowed me to become more involved with teaching English and education in general and definitely more open-minded.

I am now in a position where I feel I have to give back some of the immense help, mentoring and consideration I received in the early years of my career by mentoring other teachers, helping out whenever I can, and doing volunteer work for teaching associations and others. Teaching English is my passion and almost 30 years after that first teaching job, I have no regrets whatsoever and I cannot possibly see myself doing anything else!

Teaching is such a rewarding profession! But it has so many facets worth exploring! If I could summarise it in few words, these would be: exploring, connecting, sharing, learning.

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight

My Journey In School As A Teacher

This essay is written by a teacher who reflects on their journey in school as an educator. Through experiences, challenges, and self-reflection, the author shares how they have grown as a teacher and the valuable lessons they have learned along the way.

Essay About My Journey In School As A Teacher

Introduction Lines

My journey in school as a teacher has been an enriching and fulfilling experience. As an educator, I have had the privilege of shaping young minds and helping students achieve their full potential. In this essay, I will reflect on my journey as a teacher, highlighting the experiences, challenges, and lessons that have shaped me.

Body Paragraphs

My journey in school as a teacher started when I was a fresh graduate. I was filled with enthusiasm and eagerness to make a difference in the lives of my students. However, I quickly realized that teaching was not an easy task. I had to learn how to manage a classroom, engage my students, and deliver effective lessons. It was challenging, but I remained committed to my students and continued to work hard to improve my teaching skills.

One of the significant experiences that helped me grow as a teacher was teaching in a diverse classroom. I had students from different backgrounds, cultures, and learning styles. It was challenging, but it taught me the importance of being flexible, adaptable, and inclusive. I learned to differentiate my instruction, use various teaching strategies, and create a welcoming and safe learning environment.

Another significant challenge I faced was dealing with difficult students. I had students who were disruptive, unmotivated, or disengaged. However, I learned to view these challenges as opportunities to connect with my students and understand their needs. I learned to communicate effectively, establish positive relationships, and provide meaningful feedback.

Through self-reflection, I discovered the importance of continuous learning and professional development. I attended workshops, conferences, and courses to improve my teaching skills and keep up with the latest trends and best practices in education. I also sought feedback from my colleagues, administrators, and students, and used it to reflect on my teaching practice and make improvements.

Conclusion :

My journey in school as a teacher has been an enriching and fulfilling experience. Through my experiences, challenges, and self-reflection, I have learned valuable lessons that have shaped me into a better teacher. I have learned to be more flexible, adaptable, and inclusive. I have also learned to value continuous learning and professional development. As I continue my journey in school as a teacher, I am excited to see where it will take me and what new experiences and challenges I will encounter.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

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ELT CHOUTARI

Nepal’s first digital elt magazine, reflections on my teaching journey: laxman gnawali.

I started my teaching career not by choice but by necessity. Hailing from a lower middle-class subsistence farmer’s family, I saw very few options to get the resources I needed to pursue higher education. With six younger siblings waiting for me back in my home village in the western hill district of Gulmi, my parents had it hard enough without me adding to their burden. In this context, I had managed to get my school-level education from a free Sanskrit school, in Ridi, Gulmi.

Back then, higher education was seen as a waste of time and money; families of that generation believed a better alternative was to go to India to find ‘good’ jobs there. However, the zeal was in me, and after finishing my schooling in Ridi, I landed in Butwal to attend Intermediate of Education (I Ed) at Butwal Multiple Campus. The fact that I had done my schooling in Sanskrit did not prevent me from dreaming to major in English.

You could say that I was naïve, not realizing that I belonged to a class that could not afford higher education. It sounds crazy now. But as they say, “Man proposes and God disposes,” so I got a scholarship from the Campus, enabling me to take the next steps on my path.

When I was in my second year I Ed, I ran out of money. I badly needed a job. I heard from one of my classmates that an education officer from Palpa district was looking for an English teacher for a school in a village called Masyam. The offer looked good to me, so I went to Masyam, Palpa.

Due to financial limitations of the school and my qualifications, I was given a primary teacher’s position but I had to teach students of grades eight to ten. To teach English in the secondary level with just an incomplete intermediate level of education was a real challenge, to say the least. But I did not give up.

In the beginning I simply did not know how to teach! To start with, I lacked even basic English skills. I couldn’t even speak the language. I could only read from the book and translate it to the students. I regularly came across words which were difficult for which I did not know the meanings. I remember, one day I was planning to teach a conversation that included a phrase mind your head. I knew what the word mind meant and what head meant but mind your head did not make any sense to me. I asked around but did not get any definite answer so I travelled to Palpa district headquarters, seeking an answer but I only met people just like me, so I came back without the meaning. The dictionary did not help either. It only gave the meaning of mind and head separately. It didn’t address British idioms. It was only after several years that I was able to find out what mind your head meant – it means “pay attention, don’t hit your head!”.

I confronted other stumbling blocks in my teaching career. In several instances, I did not always have the right answers to the questions given in the book. However, I learnt that being a teacher wasn’t just about being knowledgeable. I later found out that my students in Masyam School had reported to senior teachers that I was a ‘great’ teacher, because I was humble, always trying to help and trying to be friendly. This kind of motivated me to teach.

While my work at Masyam School greatly encouraged me in seriously thinking about a teaching career, I also knew that I was not going to teach there forever. I had firm plans for further education. Indeed, after a year of teaching at Masyam and attending college just to participate in the exams, I completed my Intermediate in Education.

Immediately after the results were published, I learnt that the very same Butwal Campus was launching a new Bachelor of Arts program. The program offered English major along with History and other subjects. I quickly enrolled myself in the program without thinking. However, financial problems reared its ugly head again. I didn’t have a current income source or adequate savings.

I asked Hari Mainali, one of my classmates and the then Principal of Butwal Elite English School, if his school needed an English teacher. And, because I was always regular, did my homework, interacted with the teachers, tried my best to learn, he was already impressed with me! At once I was appointed as an English teacher in his private school.

Butwal Elite English School was an interesting environment; everybody spoke English, teachers and students alike. While I had not developed that level of spoken proficiency, I had to try because that was the rule. I did try, worked hard, soon enough, I was an insider among the teaching staff. As a beginning teacher, the school had given me classes only in nursery, kindergarten and Grade one. However, I took this as a very good opportunity for me to start learning from the beginning.

Looking back now, I realize that I’d made numerous mistakes, not just with language but in the very way I taught. For example, I would get students to shout the names of fruits, vegetables etc. that I was teaching. It was the method I used to make them memorize words. I also made them copy everything from the books. I remember one instance of my pedagogy, which was after I was entrusted with grades two and three as well. I asked Grade three students to write an essay. To ensure that everyone wrote an essay on the given topic, I provided them with a model essay and every student was expected to reproduce the same essay! Most students did. I did this every time I taught them to write essays. Simply put, this was not teaching at all, but that was all I knew then.

And so time passed as I gradually got into the groove. And, the mistakes I made didn’t stop me from making a good impression among my seniors. And so, it came to be that the following year, I was promoted! Actually, the management asked me to start teaching in the higher classes.

This upward growth helped me iron out my shortcomings and learn new things as well. For example, I found out that independent reading was an exercise that immensely helped students. So, I had them read short stories and poems. And those who read more had better writing. It was then that I knew the value of extensive, independent reading.

The years passed and I continued teaching. Even then, not as a career but as a job in which I was just barely proficient. Whenever I moved from one place to another for my next level of studies, I taught in nearby schools. It was a convenient and always available option. However, when I was doing my MA in English Literature Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, the classes were run in the day time, so I could not study and work simultaneously. I decided to work outside of Kathmandu, in a public school and maintain my study without attending classes – I had to survive first.

I got a position in Dedithumka High School in Kavre district to teach English from grades six to 10. Lucky me, my students were curious and supportive. I experimented whatever I knew; I organized short skits, conversations, sometimes creative writing tasks etc. I taught grammar to the best of my knowledge in contextual ways. Students were happy but I was the one who was happier here. Finally, I was slowly learning the tricks of teaching.

After my Masters, I returned to my own village in Gulmi to teach English to Grade 11 students. Again this upward mobility gave me opportunities to try out new approaches. I could confidently practise what I had learnt with my new students. As with all things, it worked with some, didn’t work with others but overall, the feedback from my students showed that my lessons were well received.

My teaching life underwent a rapid change when I was appointed as a lecturer at Kathmandu University (KU) a year later, in 1993. I had moved to the capital for better opportunities. Newly married, and full of aspirations, I was looking for a proper university position to teach. I learnt through an acquaintance that KU, in its nascent stage then, was looking for an English teacher for its School of Science. I applied and was called to give a trial class. Prof. Abhi Subedi, my former teacher in my MA, observed my test lesson and decided to have faith in me. I was in.

Once in, I went through many experiments, some with pleasure, and more with frustrations. After all, I was somebody who had attended a Sanskrit school for his high school education, someone who had never, as a learner, been exposed to a proper English-speaking environment and well delivered lessons. And now I was trying to teach English to science students who had come from private English medium schools. Their English, particularly spoken, was far better than mine. At times I thought of quitting, I actually tried quitting, but somehow, I held on.

One incident particularly illustrates how much I yet had to learn: I was teaching Romeo and Juliet, a play by Shakespeare . We could have practised the conversations in the play, we could have even presented the drama itself. But instead, I tried to teach the play simply by explaining every line of the play, page after page! Only now I can imagine how traumatic my lessons must have been for my students. There were signs that they were not paying attention, and sometimes I could see clearly that they did not enjoy the lesson. I even took it as a discipline issue. It took a long time for me to understand that the problem was not in them but in me, my teaching process, my teaching, my methodology. I was attempting to teach a drama by explaining line by line, for the whole 60 minute class, every class, three days a week. Had I been the students, I would have quit, but fortunately, my students stayed in class.

Time did remain the same. I moved on, and I seemed to change my pedagogy as illustrated by the forthcoming example. After a couple of years, I had to teach The Day of the Triffids , a sci-fi piece, and Siddhartha , a spiritual novel. This time, while I still used the explanation technique, I made it more interactive. We would discuss the events, linking the elements in the stories to our own lives. Instead of reading and explaining every line, the class became an interaction session between me and the students. Perhaps, this change was responsible for a pleasant surprise I got later in the year. In the students’ magazine, I was voted the best teacher! Although I knew I was not the best teacher, it helped me realize that I was improving.

Later in 2002, after my second Masters from the UK with a scholarship from the A. S. Hornby Educational Trust , I was transferred to School of Education from School of Science because my UK degree specialized in Teacher Training for ELT. As we started the new semester, I felt at home, I clearly didn’t know why. Upon reflection now, I understand I had undergone two things. One, I had been exposed to an excellent teaching methodology at Marjon, Plymouth, with great faculties Tony Wright and Rod Bolitho. I had practised speaking English with native and non-native speakers during my stay there. I had returned with an improved know-how of English and pedagogy. Second, I was teaching postgraduate students how to teach English, something I had specialized in.

With my background and the teaching situation, I was in a good place. I had to demonstrate model lessons so I had to prepare at my best. I worked hard and I enjoyed. My lessons were well-received. I was established.

But the question remains ‘what exactly made my lessons better?’ By this time, I was on the other side of the continuum of teaching. I had stopped giving long lectures. When I had to explain something, I presented lecturettes, not lectures. My students read, shared, worked in groups, gave presentations, argued against each other, critiqued, and reviewed.

I knew that in higher education, particularly at the university level, we have adult students who will not enjoy listening to long lectures. They bring with them a lot of experiences, insights, and ideas. They will also want to participate in the discussions. I knew this so I helped them realize their potential. I feel that my haphazard teaching in early years, and successful experiments with PG diploma, Masters and M Phil level established me as a seasoned teacher. I have tried to exemplify what life has taught me — that a participatory way of teaching is the best way. My success inside the University has helped me to be invited to deliver sessions outside. Conference presentations at the NELTA and other forums in Nepal, as well as in several other countries in the world have become part and parcel of my life.

Like everyone, I too have my regrets and mistakes. I know I cannot travel back in time and undo them. From time to time, I remember the scenes of my lessons in Palpa, in Butwal, in my early years, my mistakes at the University.

However, it may have been that I had to make those mistakes to arrive where I am now.

About the author:

Dr. Laxman Gnawali is Professor of English Education at Kathmandu University School of Education, and Senior Vice President of NELTA.  He can be reached at [email protected]

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32 thoughts on “ reflections on my teaching journey: laxman gnawali ”.

First of all, I would like to thank to the editor who provided me this opportunity to read this best success story of my respected guru Prof.Dr. Laxman Gnawali. When I started reading I didn’t blink my eyes, I mean it was really touchy. I am so emotional after going through this life story line by line. This story made me think a lot that how challenging moments teach us to move towards golden days.

You are my guru of guru because I passed Master teaching at campus but didn’t know how to teach effectively how to present myself with student no interaction no discussion boring lecture translating nepali only but luckily I met such professor which give me blood of teaching idea from where I am able to live in this profession.He is the only who can transform and aroused the passion in teaching to any one .I salute such prof.

Past was struggle present is proud of our family & futures will be best

Really full of inspiration

Excellent story and highly inspirational………..True respect GURU. …..

I read every word of the article, not just because it is beautifully written, but also because it comes out of a genuinely passionate teacher. Thank you, Laxman Sir, for inspiring us to strive to do better every day.

A very good combination of needs, struggle, life, education and success. A very good example of ‘teacher learns from experience and teaching methodology is created as the needs of situation”. I am really impressed and inspired by the Gyawali sir’s struggle of life. However, sir should have added a little bit how he was designated the position of professor and gained Phd. How much he had to struggle for these designation as well.

After reading the story, I will feel inspirational where our struggle starts from our job, language, and life. You have gone through many phases and seen adversity but your constant hard work and dedication make you the great figure and reward you.

Thank you very much for sharing your story with us.

What a touchy article! This has inspired me,too. A real ascending experience of our respected guru, Professor laxman

Remarkable story! It inspires me and many others for sure, only thing that stops you towards your goal is our own mind. This will always remind me to work harder.

I loved your workshop you gave in Padma kanya, I loved you energy and dedication. I have more respect towards you after reading your story. I hope you could join us in future for the presentation of our research project.

It’s really inspirational. I also realized that every successful life begins with the struggle.

Wonderful and remarkable story sir. Thanks for sharing with us.

Really loved it. and I surprised to know your origin of education, sanskrit and really happy to know u r from gulmi and once taught in Masyam, Palpa as my Im also originally from that side. lines touche. “I had stopped giving long lectures. When I had to explain something, I presented lecturettes, not lectures. My students read, shared, worked in groups, gave presentations, argued against each other, critiqued, and reviewed.”

“However, it may have been that I had to make those mistakes to arrive where I am now.”

I want to be like you in my life.

I want to be like you in my life. Thank you for being a part of my life, you are my inspiration respected sir.

While reading this real story, I see my own image on you. Really, inspirational and encouraging . Sincere thanks to you sir for providing this wonderful opportunity to read your life story.

I very much enjoyed the article. It really inspired and impressed me. The article clearly showed the struggle and constant effort open the door of success and also I learned a lesson that good people makes mistakes to be a better people.

Numerous struggles and traumas are exist behind the success of Dr. Gnawali. On the one hand, poverty and innate intense to learn English language. Other hand, responsibility of teacher in remote area’s school at the same time are seems really challenging part of their life. Although, journey has never stopped to reach the peak, Nepal to UK, nursery teacher to Professor Doctor. I support their dedicated life. Salute him for being inspire-able personality.

I had read your reflexion that you shared in the teaching training conducted by NELTA Gulmi where we got it after panal discussion. After reading it, I have been encouraged a lot and the six day research writing training has made me more stronger. When I read your aryicle, my heart melts remembering your saying,” Iam not legend but a son of Gulmi”, always vibrates me.

I became very much nervous when I finished your very interesting life experience. I finished without stop. Your struggles are emotional. We can say that you are the greatest person who always motivate us to be a great. I hope your experience will help me to be a successful person. Thank you for giving us a golden chance to read your life experience.

went through every word and just loved it

Thank you, every one, for your kind words. Reflections help us cherish the good memories, cleanse the would of the sufferings and celebrate the success. You can also try writing one.

Great and lead to avenue !

Very touchy article indeed .. Everyone should read it twice and try to do hard effort in days to come as well .

very inspirational reflections sir…

What a reflection! I find the picture of myself a bit here as I faced some of the struggles and frustrations sometimes s a teacher. I’m also trying to bring in some pedagogical changes now though initially I was almost teaching students Shakespeare’s tales through paraphrasing only, which was really boring. This is a superb reflection of any teacher in this Asian subcontinent, I think. I was all glued to the narrative as it progressed very sequentially from the struggles of childhood to the success stories of the writer. The emotional touch in tune with the language was so strong and natural that I completed reading this masterpiece at one shot and then reflected on my diverse teaching opportunities I embraced till now and how all experiences – good or bad summed up to what I am now. Lovely presentation indeed, Dear Laxman Gnawali sir.

It shows your struggle, passion, and devotion.

This is the rare case in Nepal that somebody who are in such high altitude that you are. you stated every thing happened in your academic journey but some people don’t like to share ugly past reality of the life but you explained everything sir. Its very much inspiring to anyone who are constructing their academic career. I am very lucky to be the student of you.

Your life experiences is one of the prominent example of how continuous effort, patience ,several mistakes and never giving up attitude will support your to reach your ultimate goal. Your reflections depicts that how experience of a human life has full of learnings to be better than who we were. One of the struggles that I had during my young age is my perception to mistake. I believe making mistakes is not right. As I believe that’s how education system was build on where proper guidance was not there. Throughout my journey of experience I have realized that making mistakes is one of the beautiful experiences that’s will helps you to reflect back and work on your self. This also means that you are moving forward towards your goal rather than being stagnant because of fear of making mistakes. You know your reflection different phases of your life where you made mistakes and you chose to see them as your learning for your own improvement.

Thank you for sharing your reflection .

Highly respected Self made man of letters originated from a very fertile soil of Gulmi! An inspirational success story, got enlightened! We are eagerly awaiting for your arrival in Gulmi, guru jee! Hearty welcome!

I would like to thank to the editor for providing this motivational and inspirational real story of professor. I think its very amazing and wonderful success story.

Highly inspirational and motivational.

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My journey as a teacher: a report on my internship as an elementary school teacher

This internship report details my four month journey as a teacher and what I have learned from this journey. I have also discussed what I have done well and what I feel I could have done better. I describe my contribution in terms of my students’ learning, as well as my continuous effort to help my students to learn better. In this report I have also critically reflected my teaching, citing examples from my teaching experiences. In my teaching I attempted to implement what I have learnt attending various courses during my undergraduate study. However, I feel it is not always easy or possible to implement what the books suggest; rather I need to innovate and make activities more fun and enjoyable for my students. I have discussed a few of these experiences. I consider myself lucky to get the chance to do my internship at a renowned English Medium School named Brighton (pseudonym) school. The internship was four months in duration. During this internship, my responsibility was to help...

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Overall Reflection on Learning Journey Essay

Educating young children is a very responsible task. During centuries, philosophers, teachers, and other scientists suggested many teaching techniques and theories that were aimed at improving the process of teaching, learning, and assessment. Indeed, modern education is based on several major principles that presuppose encouraging communication between adults and children, encourage learning activities, promote self-belief, and respect for other people. These principles were described and interpreted in various books, articles, etc. In this essay, I am going to highlight some key things, such as theories, principles, and approaches that re-shape or change the way I think about teaching, learning, and assessment.

I have never considered teaching as something easy, however, it is much “deeper” activity that, according to Eggen and Kauchak (2010) can be described with such adjectives as “demanding”, “challenging”, and “rewarding”. Being a teacher is not a profession, but a lifestyle. What was new for me is that a teacher should also be a psychologist. It is the main characteristic of his/her professionalism. As Eggen and Kauchak (2001) mention in their book, a commitment to learning, the ability to make decisions, reflective practices are the foundations of a professional teacher. Consequently, the knowledge of the material is not the only “knowledge” the teacher should possess. One should study educational psychology to develop a professional knowledge base that helps make decisions to maximize students’ learning. (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010).

What is also important for a teacher is no understand that the world and society develops, the students are not the same there were years ago, thus, a teacher is supposed to use innovative teaching methods that increase students’ alertness and motivation, as well as improve teacher’s professional development. One such method employs the use of the Internet and various digital technologies: “Internet navigation can use the technology to access professional development opportunities.” (Pandey and Bhargava, 2003) This promoted professional development and makes students more interested in learning, thus, it improves their performance. I have also realized that it is extremely important for teachers to understand individual student’s learning capabilities and psychological characteristics of every individual, as well as the whole group to be able to control their behavior. One should be aware of the ethics of the group membership and the commitment to the attitudes, values, and behavior of that group (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). I also understood that there are many forms of disciplining young children, the most important for a teacher is to realize that these forms should be suitable in one time and place (Porter, 2002).

Two methods re-shaped my view on teaching: constructive and instructive teaching methods. The constructivist theory acknowledges that every learner needs to create an individual understanding of a concept through first-hand experience or reflection (student-based). This is an effective method since the students can visualize and easily understand the taught concepts. This is the opposite of the instructive teaching method where we are supposed to hammers information through explicit teaching, there is a strict sequence of skill presentation, and this method has its shortfalls since weak students might not be able to keep up with the pace. (Zevenbergen, 1995). One thing that we must all observe is professionalism and positive attitudes since they are keys to successful teaching. I appreciate the need to increase the students’ skills in education and life, and to achieve this we should empower students so that they can identify problems and solve them, still it brings them to issues related to real-life matters, and how to go about them. Thus, a teacher should promote student’s personal, social, and moral development in real-life situations.

According to Eggen and Kauchak (2010), age-related changes in personality, ability to interact, and pro-social characteristics should be taken into consideration when educating children. My vision of the educational process was also very changed by the theories of Piaget and Vigotsky. I considered that it is the teacher’s responsibility to present the knowledge, however, according to Piaget, learning is an active process and learners construct their knowledge (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Thus, the teacher is only the helper who directs and gives advice. Such a theory of active learning influenced greatly modern education and improved it. Vigotsky is another great pedagogue that changed my vision of the teaching process. His sociocultural theory of development emphasized the role of language in the child’s development, he promoted a great role of culture and social interaction (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010). Thus, I support the idea that people, as social beings should interact with other people and share their culture during socio-based activities.

Another important issue is the way of assessing students. We do this in various ways; one can take the formative approach which tests continuity, while there is the other method we use is the formative one which assesses the students at the end of their program. The formative approach is an effective method of testing day to day progress and it is effective since we can make rectifications instantly to avert the accumulation of learning problems. We are supposed to assess students in line with the set curriculum and objectives. This will take different forms but the primary objective is to use findings to improve our teaching and the student’s learning. (Bhagiar, 2007).

Throughout my learning, I discovered several important things that can promote the enhancement of teachers’ professional development and productivity. These issues have changed my attitude to teaching learning and assessment. What I understood is that teachers should prepare students to real life, promote their social, individual and moral development. By employing teaching tactics that use real life is, sues, teachers should let students explore the better world, come up with new ideas as well as help them solve real life problems. I appreciated what (Eggen & Kauchak 2010) said about real-life teaching whereby we use teaching aids which boosts the students’ ability to understand reality.

Bhagiar, M. (2006).Classroom Assessment Cycle within the Alternate Assessment Paradigm. Journal of Maltese Education research . Web.

Eggen, P & Kauchak, D. (2004) Education psychology Windows on classrooms. Web.

Pandey, V. C. & Bhargava, G. (2003). Digital Technologies and Teaching Strategies. Gyan Books.

Porter, L. (2002). Educating Young Children with Special Needs. SAGE.

Zevenbergen, R. (1995). Constructivist approaches in mathematics education. Web.

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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Teaching Philosophy — My teaching philosophy

My Teaching Philosophy

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Published: Mar 25, 2024

Words: 673 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Teaching Philosophy: Fostering Lifelong Learning and Critical Thinking Skills

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Best Education Essay Examples

Educational journey.

619 words | 3 page(s)

After graduating from high school a few years ago, I had achieved a significant milestone in my educational journey. I had to take some time and think about the kind of future that was suitable for me, one that would lead me to a fulfilling and happy life. I had to choose from a variety of promising options that all seemed to hold a bright future for me. I decided to pursue a career in nursing as I felt it would be fulfilling and at the same time I would have a chance to help people in the community as I work. I knew that the journey would not be easy, and I hoped and prayed that it would be worth the struggle eventually. I believed that education would provide me with opportunities and put me in a better position while competing for career opportunities, and improve my financial situation. The journey has been eventful, with a variety of challenges, detours and sacrifice.

Since enrolling in college, I have learned a lot academically and through various practical experiences in the course of my studies. Being in college has expanded my views and the way I perceive the world, built on my self-confidence levels, and most importantly built on critical interpersonal skills and the courage to face challenges of enormous proportions. Before enrolling in college, I was always looking forward to being in college but my finances were a little squeezed, and I was running on a tight budget. Eventually, I decided to work part-time as it would help with my experience and improve my financial situation.

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My educational journey has not been without challenges. As a single mother, I was struggling to support my family and raise my daughter the best way I could. I had to work and go to school, and at the same time, I was raising my young girl. I worked in low paying jobs on different occasions just to improve my financial situation. I worked as a health caregiver, a certified nurse aide, a licensed practical nurse and eventually as a registered nurse when I got my license to practice as a nurse. Working, raising a child and studying is not easy. Sometimes I could be too tired to study, and I had to make a few sacrifices such as taking personal and family time to study and do research.

I have not missed any significant opportunities; I have been fortunate to make it through various stages in which I was struggling. My best aunt Patricia has been an inspiration and encouraged me to do the best I can. She always told me that the future would be different when I overcome the challenges and stay focused on completing my studies and get a license. Being a nurse herself, she played an essential role in my life and influenced my choice to become a nurse. Having been through nursing school before me, she guided me and made my studies a little less complicated. She helped me whenever she could, and I’m forever grateful to her. She helped me get some of the low paying jobs that helped me through college when my finances were insufficient. I could not have come this far without her.

I have had the pleasure of interacting with influential teachers since day one of college, and I look forward to meeting more of them. It is right to acknowledge the role that teachers and instructors play in shaping us to be the people we want to be in life. I have lost contact with some of these teachers but their legacies influenced me in my practice as well as educational endeavors, and they helped me become a better person.

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My Cultural Identity

This essay about my culture explores the unique blend of Eastern European heritage and northeastern United States customs that define my cultural identity. It discusses how cuisine serves as a vital cultural expression, blending traditional dishes with local flavors to create a rich tapestry of food that marks both familial and festive gatherings. The essay also touches on the role of language, noting how Polish and Ukrainian phrases permeate family conversations, preserving the linguistic heritage of my ancestors. Additionally, it describes the influence of the local environment on community activities that are deeply intertwined with the changing seasons, reflecting a strong connection to both place and tradition. Finally, the essay highlights core values such as hard work, resilience, and the importance of education, which have been inherited from immigrant ancestors and remain central to my cultural ethos today. Overall, the essay paints a picture of a dynamic cultural identity that merges historical legacies with contemporary life.

How it works

The journey into one’s cultural realm is a labyrinthine expedition, traversing the intricacies of personal and collective identity. It entails an immersion into the labyrinth of traditions, ethos, and societal mores that thread through generations, etching indelible imprints upon the psyche and conduct of individuals within a social milieu. Contemplating the inquiry, “What defines my cultural essence?” compels me to navigate through a mosaic of historical legacies, geographical contexts, and socio-cultural landscapes that delineate my distinct cultural tapestry.

At its nucleus, my cultural ethos embodies an amalgamation of indigenous norms from the northeastern expanse of the United States and the inherited legacies of Eastern European forebears.

This fusion bequeaths a singular modus vivendi that exalts the fortitude of immigrant enclaves juxtaposed against the whirlwind of innovation characterizing contemporary American ethos. The cultural ethos, encapsulated within gastronomic delights, festive revelries, and oral traditions, serves as a testament to the resilience of diasporic narratives amidst the currents of adaptation and assimilation.

The culinary arena emerges as a palpable terrain of cultural expression, where ancestral lore converges with contemporary culinary sensibilities. The hearth becomes a crucible where ancestral legacies intermingle with contemporary innovations, engendering a palimpsest of flavors that narrate tales of diasporic odyssey. Holiday repasts bear witness to this cultural communion, wherein quintessential American fare harmonizes with Eastern European delicacies such as pierogi and borscht, each culinary creation a testament to the odyssey of migration and acculturation.

Language, with its vernacular cadences and idiomatic lexicon, constitutes a linchpin of my cultural identity. While English serves as the lingua franca of quotidian discourse, vestiges of Slavic linguistic heritage punctuate familial colloquy, particularly in matters pertaining to culinary alchemy and familial camaraderie. Though the younger generation may not wield these linguistic nuances fluently, they serve as mnemonic vestiges of ancestral provenance, kindling sentiments of pride and nostalgia amidst familial communion.

Community life serves as a tableau vivant, wherein the seasonal vicissitudes of nature choreograph communal rites and festivities. Residing in locales where seasonal transitions orchestrate the cadence of daily life, communal engagements are inextricably intertwined with the flux of natural cycles: autumnal revelries, winter frolics, vernal rejuvenation, and summertime sojourns to coastal enclaves. Each season bequeaths its pantheon of rituals and festivities, many of which are testament to the adaptive ingenuity of diasporic communities in synchronizing ancestral legacies with local landscapes.

Furthermore, my cultural ethos is imbued with a valorization of toil, tenacity, and the pursuit of knowledge. These cardinal virtues, bequeathed by predecessors who traversed oceans in pursuit of greener pastures, reverberate resoundingly within our family’s ethos, shaping our approach towards life’s vicissitudes and aspirations. Manifesting in a reverence for scholastic pursuits and vocational pursuits, these values mirror the broader American zeitgeist of ambition and individual endeavor.

In summation, my cultural identity emerges as a symphony of epochs, a confluence of bygone legacies and emergent narratives. It is characterized by a variegated epicurean repertoire, a polyglot linguistic mosaic, a tapestry of communal conviviality, and an ethos steeped in ancestral wisdom and aspirational verve. The odyssey of exploring and articulating the intricacies of my cultural ethos not only engenders a profound rapport with ancestral moorings but also fosters a heightened appreciation for the kaleidoscopic diversity enshrined within the tapestry of global cultures.

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Guest Essay

An Octopus Took My Camera, and the Images Changed the Way I See the World

By Craig Foster

Mr. Foster’s film, “My Octopus Teacher,” won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021. He wrote from Simon’s Town, South Africa.

I was gifted with a new way of seeing the day I got mugged underwater. I had been filming creatures living in the Great African Sea Forest off the coast of South Africa about a year ago when my camera was grabbed straight out of my hands by a young octopus thief. Wrapping her arms around her bounty, she zoomed backward across the ocean floor.

This was not the first time I’d found myself at the mercy of an eight-armed robber. A couple of years earlier, another curious octopus stole the wedding ring off my wife’s finger, never to be recovered. Octopuses love novel shiny things. Peering into their dens, I’ve found earrings, bracelets, spark plugs, sunglasses and a toy car with a revolving cylinder that the octopus spun round and round with its suckers.

As I wondered how to get my camera back without alarming my young friend, something surprising happened. She turned the camera around and began to film my diving partner and me.

The intriguing images she captured — videos of her own arms draped over the camera lens with our bodies in the background — had a profound effect on me. After many years filming octopuses and hundreds of other animals that call the Sea Forest home, for the first time I was seeing the world — and myself — from her perspective.

We must have looked strange to her in our masks and with our underwater flashlights. But in that moment I remembered that despite all our technology, we are not so different from our animal kin. Every breath of air, every drop of water, every bite of food comes from the living planet we share.

Monday is Earth Day, and I am tempted to ask myself how humanity can save our wild planet and undo the devastation we have unleashed upon the natural world. Where I live, in the Cape of Good Hope, I am privileged to be surrounded by nature, but we are grappling with pollution and dwindling numbers of shellfish, fish, raptors and insect species. Worldwide, we are at a tipping point with an estimated 69 percent decline in wildlife populations.

When I consider the vast network of living creatures on earth, it’s clear that “saving the planet” is the wrong goal. Unless earth gets obliterated by an asteroid or experiences some similar catastrophic event, the planet could go on for several billion years. But without the biosphere that makes it possible for us to eat and breathe, humanity could not survive.

The question we should be asking is what caused the precipitous increase in species loss and what can we do to reverse it. To me, it all started when we disconnected from our wild origins. While agricultural and technological revolutions have enabled massive population growth and innovation , they have also instilled the belief that we can control nature, that our planet is an infinite resource to be mined for our advancement, comfort and entertainment.

Today 56 percent of the world population lives in urban areas, a percentage expected to grow to nearly 70 percent by 2050 . That means that more than half of us are cut off from reminders that we are still part of nature and utterly dependent on its health. It’s only when something truly devastating happens, like the recent flooding in Dubai, that we remember that even the greatest human advancements can be brought to a standstill by nature’s power.

I am not calling for us to leave all modern comforts behind, just pleading for us to get to know nature better, rather than try to “save” her.

In the past decade I have taken more than 4,000 dives in the Sea Forest. My encounters with mollusks, sharks and jellyfish there have convinced me that there is much we will lose if we do not value the tremendous abundance of life on earth.

We do this first by protecting biodiversity hot spots and by restoring degraded ecosystems; the enormous regenerative power I see every day in nature is what gives me hope for the future. It also means learning from and supporting Indigenous people who protect 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity and who have, over millenniums, developed many innovative ways to live with the land and sea. One promising example of partnership is a recent grant from the National Science Foundation to support collaboration between Indigenous ecological knowledge and Western science.

Activities that cause long-term destruction of the sea and earth, such as strip mining , deep sea mining and industrial trawling, need to be halted immediately. Farming methods have to change, with greater emphasis on soil recovery and regeneration . We must continue to find alternatives to fossil fuels and push for a worldwide reduction in the production and use of plastics.

But each of us has a role to play, too; it starts with challenging ourselves to reconnect with the wild. So much of our modern world seems designed to tame us: to dull our minds, to separate us from the natural world, to convince us that what will help us survive is more consumption.

Like my octopus friends, we fill our houses with shiny new things. But our piles of stuff are much bigger and the cost of acquisition much greater.

We can break free of this tame conditioning. When we dedicate even just a few minutes per day to observing wild creatures on their own terms, in their own homes, regardless of where we live, we connect with the concept of biodiversity not simply on an intellectual level but also on an emotional level. We see the world differently — and ourselves, too.

How strange it is that one silly primate can see itself as separate from all those it shares this world with. What might happen if we remembered we are a part of this wild world — and let that understanding and humility guide every choice we make?

Craig Foster is a co-founder of the Sea Change Project and the author of the forthcoming “Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World.” His film “My Octopus Teacher” won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021.

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