Philosophy of Teaching Statement
Denise De Vito

The philosophical and historical evolution of education theory is imperative to understanding how contemporary education functions. Education changes and grows with the community in which it exists. Promoting an understanding that social, economic, and political forces shape the construction and utilization of knowledge is central to my philosophy of teaching. It is this concept that I utilize in planning and executing my courses.

I encourage students to personally engage and challenge not only the philosophical views of education, but contemporary classroom practice based on these views. This allows students to critically think for themselves and develop their own philosophy regarding classroom practice.

I want students to engage in inquiry about what it is they are learning, examining their participation and progress and share their views on topics through critique and debate. I offer my students multiple views regarding classroom psychology and philosophy. In my courses, I create activities in which students can personally engage and immediately see the relevance to their own developing professional lives. These include projects for participative community engagement that highlight developmental stages and differentiated learning. Students who engage in the communities in which they will teach develop a deep understanding of the socio-culture and the needs of the community. Such experiences strengthen mindful reflection and purposeful thought as pre-service teachers begin considering the structure of their classroom environment.

In my experience teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, community participation is a reciprocally educative endeavor, informative and enriching for all participants. I consider my teaching successful when students report that they have learned to consider other voices and perspectives when thinking about the teaching profession.

In modeling the Socratic method, I am mindful of the kind of learning I strive to promote among students. My hope is that my students will teach their own classes in a student-centered collaborative environment. I would like pre-service educators to understand that knowledge is socially constructed; integration of family, community and the classroom is where learning happens. I value discussion and response. Multiple voices provide a variety of views that otherwise might not be heard and offer new modes of inquiry, illustrating that a cookie cutter approach to education does not result in success for all.
I view my students as budding professionals. I want my students to feel prepared to enter their chosen  profession as confident educators who are able to exercise their judgment on issues relating to schooling with a sense of personal agency about what goes on in their classrooms, why they teach, how they teach, what they teach, and what they know about curricular content. I want them to be able to seamlessly blend pedagogy and practice. By taking ownership of their learning through reflective practice, community awareness and engagement, my students have an opportunity to see themselves as active members of a vibrant learning community.