Philosophy of Teaching Statement
Dr. Rommel Miranda
As an educator, agent of change and public servant, I aspire to provide my
students (our next generation of STEM leaders) with an education that will help
to transform them into a better person. Additionally, I encourage my students to
become reflective thinkers who examine their own values, attitudes and beliefs
about science, teaching and learning. I also strive to enable my students to
develop lifelong habits of curiosity, integrity, honesty, persistence, and passion
for the pursuit of knowledge that will ultimately help them to become responsible
STEM leaders, equipped with practical skills to create a more humane and just
world. To accomplish these goals in my classes, I have actively involved and
engaged students in the community through scholarly activity and service
learning opportunities with the hope that they leave Towson University with rich
life experiences. Moreover, I hope to provide my students with an opportunity to
truly develop all the potential that lies within them, and to feel confident at
graduation for the real-world, like I did when I was a student
More specifically, I believe that my role as a professor is to ensure that my
students grasp the big picture of science, teaching, and learning. A picture that
encompasses scientific connections to the natural world and unifies other
disciplines. To attain this goal, I personally strive to promote authentic student
inquiry and student experimentation that is realistic, relevant and scientifically
rigorous so that my students may observe patterns in nature and construct a
better understanding of our natural world and universe for themselves. Likewise,
I encourage open student articulation so that my students can compare their
scientific ideas and conceptions to scientists' ideas and conceptions. Ultimately,
by having my students openly discuss initial beliefs, abstractions and
formulations of scientific concepts allows me to more effectively gauge and
address student preconceptions and misconceptions. Equally, I make every effort
to foster scientific literacy in all of my courses so that students can make more
informed decisions regarding scientific policies and issues currently affecting our
society. As well, I encourage my students to generate research questions
themselves, to become reflective thinkers who engage in active self-evaluation
as it relates to science educational issues, pedagogy and classroom processes,
and to consistently facilitate the development of critical thinking skills and
acquisition of life-long learning skills. Additionally, I strive to help my students
develop and demonstrate interpersonal qualities that can promote meaningful
relationships that can positively contribute to the science education profession
and society.
Additionally, I believe that my scholarly activity truly resonates with Towson
University’s goals and values that focus on “Academic Excellence and Student
Success”, and “Innovation in Teacher and Leader Preparation”. I am committed
to my research agenda that focuses on urban education, social justice, teacher
