Everyone is a Teacher
From the very first time I penned my "Philosophy of Teaching" back during my Bachelor's program the conviction that each person is a teacher has been with me. Most of us teach unconsciously. Many of the lessons which we teach we would rather hold back had we been aware of the learning process taking place within our audiences. You see, we teach what we know, and we teach who we are. What we know can be biased and undisciplined. It takes a conscious effort as one builds who they are for them to become confident enough in their background to seek an instructorship. Who we are is based on how we build our characters and goes back to our most basic of decisions in life. It has as much to do with how we discipline our inward selves as it does our outward personas.
People Learn Differently
And that's okay! In fact, if I had not been excitedly aware of the diversity within classrooms, I would not have become a teacher. Much of the joy and art of teaching is pulling together information about each student as an individual and learning how to apply these tidbits of their interests and background to support learning. This is quite often done "on the fly" in the classroom, but it helps to consider each student's individual needs and learning styles when you are planning out (or revising) lessons. At first the idea of storing such a database in your head seems daunting. I am continually amazed at how well the human intellect can store and access information that is seemingly unrelated to content knowledge at appropriate times. Often I find myself referring back to "the second day, when you shared _______ about _______ from your past experience." Each time you relate classroom subject matter back to a student's background, you help them compartmentalize the new information. In that light, successful teaching is made up of three parts: interest in the subject matter, interest in the student, and knowing how to work with the individual learning-filter in place inside of each student.
Under-Represented Groups
This is a wide area of discussion which deserves volumes. That being the case, I will keep my contribution short. In my work as an instructor I have always tended to focus on the individual. It has been my goal to take a large-class experience and, by the end of each class, have a student leave feeling that they received special attention and one-on-one instruction. It is my hope that good classroom experiences like these will encourage students from under-represented groups to continue on with their goals and serve as role models for others. In addition, I have found that--no matter a teacher's background--you as an instructor can be a role model for each student. The definitions of "role" as found in physical or mental handicap, gender, and ethnicity can most definitely be overruled to establish traditionally unmatched role models. How is this accomplished? You, as the teacher, must find common ground. I firmly believe that whatever a student's background, each instructor should be able to relate something from their own selves and experiences to that student's. Once a point of commonality is found and recognized by the student, you have successfully become a plausible role model. The rest falls out from good instructional strategies.
Technology in the Classroom
Can a good instructor be effective using only markers and a whiteboard? Yes. Technology use will not make a mediocre teacher "good" or a good instructor "great." It does, however, increase the effectiveness of a skilled instructor in many ways. The use of technology in the classroom provides students with a sense of relevance and forward thinking. In terms of learning styles, the technology use lends itself to addressing all forms of multiple intelligence. The diversity of the equipment and computer programs available to the instructor allows their natural creativity free-range. Student can learn without the use of modern technologies. However, the method of learning affects how deeply ingrained is the classroom experience. We should serve our students well by making use of helpful technologies.
Conclusion
Everyone is a teacher, but being an effective instructor requires discipline, study, and a teachable versatility. It is important that teachers continually assess themselves and their practices: revision should be a daily habit. A teacher will never become out-moded if they subject themselves to honest, student-, peer- and research-driven review and self-reflection.