My life as it has evolved from a young Peruvian lady to the student in U.S. Universities, now studying Teaching English as a Second Language at the Master’s degree level.
My Diversity Statement
From Peruvian Oriental cities of Yurimaguas, Tarapoto, Lamas, Lima, and Iquitos, to traveling on the Amazon river or walking for days in the jungle and sleeping out in the open with our heads protected under a mosquito net or taking protection from the torrential rain under a huge elephant ear leaf - to living in several North American states and cities, with a monolingual American husband, has exposed me to a rich diversity in culture that I bring with me to the TESOL profession. I have metaphorically learned to dance the tango of two languages and enjoy it.
My Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is a reflection of several theories associated with the field of ESL. By combining many approaches, I find wisdom. My teaching philosophy is born from the perspective of humanism that supports my desire to help each student, to see good in everyone, to coach each student, and to emphasize empathy. Social Constructivism encourages teachers to become facilitators of learning and knowledge comes through social interaction and language use. The theorists who back up my teaching philosophy are Georgi Lozanov and Stephen Krashen. One primary objective in my classroom is to develop cultural awareness.
Through the process of Portfolio development, I learned that a Portfolio is a very effective, concise method to share evidence of who I am and my teaching beliefs and motivations.
Throughout working on my graduate degree, I have learned that it is essential to teach students that bilingualism is all right and having two identities is not wrong; that it is possible to acquire another language without giving up yours. I have come to understand that L2 learners should never be ashamed of their roots, of their ancestors, or their mixed race. In my class, students are encouraged to embrace their culture and language while simultaneously learning the target language and understanding its culture and much more. Cultural awareness is part of learning a second language, and it is our responsibility as teachers to teach students to embrace and respect the culture of the target language.
In the preparation of this Portfolio, I have learned that constant self-reflection and evaluation are essential, as they help me as a teacher identify areas for growth and improvement. Through continual research and refinement of my understanding of teaching philosophies and methods, I am improving my teaching style and strengthening my ability to transfer knowledge to future students.
