About Me
My philosophy of teaching is founded on two specific themes: to stimulate interest in the subject being taught and to promote critical thinking skills in my students. These are very important components to the success of students. One way to accomplish these tasks is to be relevant. When most students enroll in certain courses, it is only to fulfill requirements given by the University or their particular college. Often, they do not see the relevance of the course material in their lives. The students should be able to see the enthusiasm that the instructor has in delivering the information and that will translate to enthusiasm in the students as well. It is the instructor’s task to bridge the gap between what is learned in the classroom and its usefulness in the real world.
Another quality to accomplish the aforementioned themes is to be relational. A good teacher knows his students. A great teacher knows and understands his students and helps to develop them. I realize that not all students learn in the same way. I adapt my materials to different learning styles. To this end, I believe it is important to provide a wide variety of opportunities and mediums for students to engage in the material in order to learn its relevance in the world and more importantly in their own lives.
Third, I put emphasis on active learning. I support my students’ ability to think actively and critically through various classroom experiences and activities. The relationship between experience and dialogue is vital in the learning process. I make every activity in the course meaningful, including quizzes and exams, and conducive to learning the subject matter and to developing critical thinking.
Lastly, I emphasize diversity. My task is to create an environment that shows respect for knowledge and the learning process independent of race, ethnicity or gender. In order to achieve this goal, I challenge my students to think outside the box with thought-provoking discussions and in-depth exploration of educational, professional and social issues.
While, I have decided to step out of the classroom, I am no less passionate about students. In this vein, I plan to continue in education by way of instructional design as well as educational consulting. In The Skillful Teacher (1990), Brookfield wrote that “teaching is about making some kind of dent in the world so that the world is different than it was before you practiced your craft.” I am a teacher. I impact the lives of students. I love what I do.
Another quality to accomplish the aforementioned themes is to be relational. A good teacher knows his students. A great teacher knows and understands his students and helps to develop them. I realize that not all students learn in the same way. I adapt my materials to different learning styles. To this end, I believe it is important to provide a wide variety of opportunities and mediums for students to engage in the material in order to learn its relevance in the world and more importantly in their own lives.
Third, I put emphasis on active learning. I support my students’ ability to think actively and critically through various classroom experiences and activities. The relationship between experience and dialogue is vital in the learning process. I make every activity in the course meaningful, including quizzes and exams, and conducive to learning the subject matter and to developing critical thinking.
Lastly, I emphasize diversity. My task is to create an environment that shows respect for knowledge and the learning process independent of race, ethnicity or gender. In order to achieve this goal, I challenge my students to think outside the box with thought-provoking discussions and in-depth exploration of educational, professional and social issues.
While, I have decided to step out of the classroom, I am no less passionate about students. In this vein, I plan to continue in education by way of instructional design as well as educational consulting. In The Skillful Teacher (1990), Brookfield wrote that “teaching is about making some kind of dent in the world so that the world is different than it was before you practiced your craft.” I am a teacher. I impact the lives of students. I love what I do.