Introduction

My philosophy towards teaching revolves around the personalization of learning. I aim for students to feel like their learning experience is personal and tailored to their needs. Moreover, my teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of planning for lessons, as it is a critical factor for a successful delivery. As a teacher, I desire to provide students with extra support and feedback until they can be independent. The final component of my beliefs about teaching is to use modeling as a mode for learning. The main features of my philosophy are as follows: cognitive challenge, planning for learning, constructive feedback, and modeling.

Cognitive Challenge 

I support the notion that students learn best when they are supplied with cognitively challenging activities. Psychologist Lev Vygotsky (2017) emphasized that "The only good method of teaching is that which runs ahead of development" (p. 367). Furthermore, as learners interact with appropriate challenges, their thinking skills are strengthened. During my practice, I design activities that aim to raise discussions among students and develop their critical thinking skills. For example, learners solve puzzles, brainstorm, and engage in sequencing activities.

In my view, tailoring content to create complex activities is vital to the implementation of learning. The United Arab Emirate's (UAE) ministry of education encourages the establishment of a conductive, challenging learning environment (Ministry of Education, n.d.). As an Emirati teacher, I stand by the belief that children must be challenged to their full potential. 

​Planning for Learning

It is my conviction that planning is a teaching competency that every teacher must be skilled at. It is a primary component that makes up the foundation of teaching. Moreover, it highlights a teacher's credibility to deliver a well-developed lesson. I believe that a lesson's success depends on the planning stage. Writing plans is useful as a guide, memory prompt, and can help answer students' questions (Woodward, 2010, p.181). If we thoroughly review what we are planning to teach, it is easier to predict what inquiries might arise during classroom discussions. To present well-rounded lessons, I create detailed lesson plans with potential questions I can ask students and have alternative activities to turn to if possible problems occur. 

Constructive Feedback

I am persuaded by the value of using constructive feedback to develop learners and help them reach their full potential. Feedback plays a vital role in students' education. It should be forward and appropriate for the grade level while aiming to motivate the learner to achieve the learning outcome (Al-Hattami, 2018). I find that an effective method in providing feedback is to use a three-step technique in which I give learners a positive statement, an area for development, and a recommendation. From my perspective, allowing students to re-think and evaluate their errors is an opportunity for them to practice self-reflection. Studies show that effort and ability feedback should be used in the classroom to target behavior and performance (Burnett & Mandel, 2010). Students' behavior is dependent on how their work is perceived. 

Modeling

It is one of my firm beliefs that before putting new skills into action, sufficient demonstration needs to take place. A pedagogical approach I utilize during the implementation of my lessons is modeling, in which I explicitly present new tasks to showcase what I expect from pupils. Only when learners are guided will they be able to work successfully on their own. Social constructivist theories explain that young learners acquire language by observing more competent users (Solomon-Rice & Soto, 2009). It is particularly important to use modeling in a second language classroom. Thus, when I introduce new language devices, I view modeling and child imitation of language as valuable learning tools.

Conclusion

As educators, our pedagogical approaches shape our students' attitudes towards learning. In line with the UAE's educational plan, I would like to become the kind of educator that caters to students' cognitive needs and challenges them appropriately. I will continue to plan thoroughly for the learning process to run smoothly. Furthermore, my vision is to give each student the required attention through constructive feedback and fruitful conversations. Finally, I believe that by giving students the proper modeling and guidance, they will become independent learners.