Robin's Philosophy

Teaching philosophies are not something that we just “have” or that we “get”, teaching philosophies are ideas and values that are developed over a period of time. I’ve only started teaching a few months ago, and really had no idea of what I wanted to convey to my students other than the knowledge of how to write well. It did not occur to me that I would need a philosophy of teaching to inform what I was going to do in the classroom. I believe that it might be a little different for me as a graduating graduate student, just embarking on this new career, than it might be for a traditionally aged student who has received their Master’s degree and is off and teaching. I have already had a twenty year career under my belt, and I bring with me the philosophy I have developed in respect to that field, which is human services. As I have reflected this semester, I have noticed that my approach to life in general, my approach to working in particular, is not all that different from the philosophy I see developing as an emerging pedagogue.

My philosophy of how knowledge is created is transactional. I believe that knowledge is created through language. How do we convey what we know? Through language, of course. It is the same for our thoughts, ideas, values, norms, mores, etc. Everything that we experience is done linguistically. Think about it, how do we create new knowledge? With words that others can understand. Recently, a friend of mine had a little girl. These proud parents often wonder what their daughter is thinking. My contention is that she doesn’t think, as she has not mastered language yet. She is merely behavioral, associatively and reactive.

My axiology is definitely Rhetoricist, or as James A. Berlin framed it, Social Epistemic. I believe that writing is a social act, and that as a writer, or as a communicator, we should strive to have our voice understood. It means nothing if you are writing and your message is unclear. I know that I am an audience centered writer, and that is what I convey to my students. How I convey this is through my pedagogical approach. My classroom is structured in such a way that peer workshops are paramount, and discussions of the writing process abound. There are times when a rhetorical pedagogy takes over and I approach the students in a manner that addresses the relationship between the writer and the audience. As my teaching is in its infant stages, I am still trying to find what pedagogical processes work best for me.

I suspect that my approaches may become more defined, or change altogether as I continue my journey in teaching. I will encounter individuals who will challenge, and ultimately change how I feel or how I approach ideas. My philosophy of life is dialectical. We do not experience or live life in a vacuum, we live life with others, engaging, interacting, learning, experiencing, as well as loving.