Philosophy of English

What does it mean to actually teach English?
As an English teacher I have asked myself this question many times, but in different versions: am I teaching well? How can I make them see it in their own way? Why would they care? How can I make them see the importance?
It's vital as an English teacher to keep these questions in mind. This is because the English language is always changing and those we are teaching are always evolving. Students are becoming less interested in literature and more interested in social medias. Therefore, it is up to us as teachers of future students to keep this in mind when we are creating lessons and looking for ways to better reach out to our students.
I believe that literature can change lives. That, at least, is what happened to me. Literature is way for us to escape the world we live in and explore worlds we may never have had the chance to live in or visit in our lifetime. Literature can also help to heal. There are times in our lives when we don't know where else to turn in times of turmoil. However, there is always a piece of literature that has addressed the feelings that we are going through; literature can help heal through words that sometimes a hug cannot.
However, there is more to English than literature; writing and argument are a large portion that goes into the teaching of English. I believe that English is underrated in the education system. People believe it to be fluff, "let's be creative and write". Of course that is a portion of the teaching of English, but there are, as mentioned previously, the important concepts of writing and argument.
I once took a class in college where the main ideas of the class were on the methods of teaching English. This may seem a difficult class to take because how can we talk about methods without constantly being in the classroom. We as a class solved this by acting for our peers as the students and allowing one another to step in front of the class as a teacher. During one class we held a debate on whether teachers should be paid more in salary. Now, as a teacher this is a touchy subject, but we had a wonderful debate that involved a pro and con side of the debate. It is valuable for students to appreciate the importance of debate because throughout our society we are constantly divided on issues concerning the citizens. Therefore, in order for students to be able to function properly in a society that is divided they must hold the skills to form an argument and back up that argument with valid examples/proof.
So again, what does it mean to teach English?
It means allowing students a safe place to explore literature, writing, culture, and society. It means giving students the opportunity enjoy English and appreciate all that it can afford.