I believe that a teaching philosophy is organic. It grows and is shaped by the institutions and students within which a teacher functions. For me, nothing has shaped my philosophy more than the previous year of teaching gifted students in Seoul, South Korea. This experience showed me that my ultimate goals are fostering globalized citizenship through language arts and helping students meet the challenges of the technology generation. Our students belong to the technology generation. They utilize technology constantly throughout their days to the benefit of both their educational and mental development. They do not see technology as the source of idleness which many of their predecessors have; they see it as a tool to be manipulated and experienced in order to improve their lives and the world. My classrooms push to harness this power. Technology has led to a new generation of self-directed learners, and it’s the teacher’s job to show them the tools to best facilitate their experiences. By displaying proper, mature, and advanced technological usage, a teacher shapes their students to do the same. A secondary effect of the technology generation has been the necessity for global citizenship. Students must be shown how their mastery and manipulation of the English language, its literatures, and its means for communication all open doors for them on an international scale. All of these ideals are, in my mind, best summarized through the educational philosophy of connectivism. My classrooms seek to create global citizenship through the discussion of current events, examination of international literatures, and humanities-based research writing topics. All of this then translates to my overall teaching style. I encourage my students to use all of the tools at their disposal to keep them organized and ever-ready for whatever challenges they may face: this is where the use of technology comes in very handy. My style may seem strict and demanding at first, but I push my students because I am aware of their exact capabilities. I will never ask them for more than they are capable of giving, but they may not know exactly how capable they are until they are pushed. After a class has learned their expectations and has begun fulfilling them, that is when I begin to loosen and have more fun with my students. Pupils who have had me for a while know me to be relaxed and fun in the classroom. Within my classroom, I practice social constructivism and the control theory of motivation. Students are encouraged to see how increased knowledge of language arts and its components will assist them in their future and enable them to become better people, citizens, and lifelong learners. Individual student motivations as well as cognitive strengths and weaknesses are taken into account when setting curricula. The teacher is the facilitator of learning, giving students the tools that they need in order to complete the tasks on their own. Students learn that they are the only people responsible for their actions and must take control of their learning in order to see improvement. Students must feel themselves improving rather than just seeing improvement on a number and/or letter scale. However, a teacher’s philosophy must never be set in stone. They must grow with their students, their careers, and society. It is my hope that I never tell myself, “This is the way things need to be done.” It is when a teacher resigns themselves to routine that they become ineffectual. Half the joy I receive from being a teacher is due to the lessons I learn. I hope to continue to grow as an instructor and adapt to new challenges for many years to come.