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Dr. J's Teaching Philosophy My philosophy of teaching is to provide a classroom environment where students are encouraged to express their own ideas and participate in their education experience. Although I stress individual responsibility for learning in the class, I also provide explanation and guidance regarding the course materials and subject matter. I want my students to enjoy the interaction in my classroom and to be challenged by the intellectual discussion of course material. The purpose of this document is to illustrate my philosophy of teaching. At the end of each class that I teach, I would like to have my students remember the following about me as an instructor:
I use these statements as the guide for my performance in the classroom and to define my teaching philosophy. In the remainder of this essay, I provide examples of how I apply these guides in my teaching. Recognition of IndividualityThe diverse backgrounds of my students enable them to bring to my classroom a variety of ideas relating to the class material. I want my students to feel that my classroom is a discussion room where they can share their ideas about the subject matter and contribute to the educational experience. On the first day of class, I ask each student to fill out an individual information sheet. I use this information to learn about my students. Throughout the semester, I attempt to call on each student by name and to know a little about his or her background. When I know my students, they feel valued and enjoy the experience of participating in my class. Learning EnvironmentAs an instructor, I have the responsibility to help my students learn how to learn. I hope to inspire my students with a desire to learn more on their own. I encourage students to take advantage of resources other than standard course materials and lectures. For example, I assign projects which require interaction with the World Wide Web, electronic mail, and other Internet related resources. By doing so, I hope to show my students the tremendous availability of resources to use in learning about almost any subject matter they are studying. I expect students to take individual responsibility for their education by coming prepared to participate in class. To encourage student participation, I use active learning techniques to draw individuals into class discussions. During class meetings, I ask students questions and use their responses as a foundation for the concepts to be covered in the class period. In addition, I attempt to redirect questions posed by students in the class to other students. By using active learning techniques, I hope to help my students understand they are responsible for their own education experience. |
