How My Experiences Shape Me as an ELA Teacher

My experiences as a student, educator, and someone who has lived and worked in different countries have shaped the kind of ELA teacher I am today. I have always been interested in communication and language, which led me to study Communications and Language Sciences. My experience working in education with students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds has also had a major influence on how I approach teaching.

One thing I have learned throughout my experience as an educator is that language is about much more than grammar and vocabulary. Students bring their own cultures, experiences, and ways of communicating into the classroom. Because of this, I try to use materials and texts that expose students to different perspectives while also giving them opportunities to connect what they are learning to their own lives.

I also believe that ELA should be about more than simply analyzing a text or memorizing literary terms. In my classroom, I use discussions, writing activities, collaborative work, and real world texts to help students see reading and writing as skills they can use outside of school. I want students to understand that their own voices and experiences have value, and I encourage them to express their ideas and opinions through both speaking and writing.

My experiences have also shaped the way I approach assessment. I use a variety of assessments, including writing assignments, reading responses, class discussions, projects, and informal checks for understanding. I have found that students demonstrate their understanding in different ways, so relying on one type of assessment does not always give an accurate picture of what a student knows.

Ultimately, my identity as an ELA teacher is connected to my belief that language gives students a voice. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas, questioning what they read, and developing their own voices as readers and writers.