Taurayi Munemo

I teach all levels of English

After many years of studying and private tutoring, I have come to combine various teaching techniques from my teachers, lecturers, and supervisors’ methods of teaching and learning. In saying that, I also emphasise that learning is an ongoing process and so as teaching. Therefore, I view my teaching methods as rather dynamic depending on the context.

This means, my approach to teaching consistently improves to meet the changing times. My philosophy towards teaching and learning can be summarised in the words of Marian Wright Edelman stating: ‘Education is improving the lives of others and leaving your community and world better than you found it’ (1992). Connecting this to my literature field, I view the process of acquiring knowledge through teaching, as reflective studying and the analysing of literary works for the purpose of education.

This means, for every student to value what they are learning, they need to understand the importance or value of what they are studying. Banerjee opines that, ‘teaching is the profession that creates all other professions’ (2018). The quote simply ties the significance of the teaching role, in building effective and competent individuals that will improve the lives of people around them.

My principle in teaching is premised on clarity in presenting material, explicating the expectations and in clearly communicating educational goals.

I strongly believe that learning experiences should be based on proper and effective planning. In my approach, this involves setting educational methods that meet a: ‘diverse range of students who share the need to be educated. In tandem with my teaching philosophy, I also believe in the interests, diverse and divergent viewpoints of student learners.

Therefore, I recognise that my role as an educator is to help students recognise the relationships that exist between varying interests and fields of study. By this I mean, teaching English is about connecting language to a range of disciplines; and doing so drives students to respond to English studies as more meaningful to them and their own areas of interest.

I hold three Senior English Literature degrees