Teaching Philosophy

Above all else I want to teach my students how to learn. Good teachers teach students skills that can be used outside the classroom, while at the same time developing their critical thinking skills. Teaching should be broader than giving students information about a particular subject; if students have a solid skillset of comprehension, communication, and critical thinking then they can learn anything.

I treat my students like peers, and develop a classroom and online course structure in which my students are a team tackling questions, with myself as the team leader. Students learn the specifics of the subject matter, while improving their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The value of this team approach is that it reflects the structure of STEM jobs, and directly prepares students of their careers. Students (myself included) respond enthusiastically to these active learning techniques, and are much more engaged when they work through problem sets and questions during class time.

Highly stressed students need a different pace of lecture than those excited about the first day of class. I stay after class, to answer questions from students too nervous to ask in front of the group. I offer my online lectures in both synchronous and asynchronous formats, allowing students to use whichever format best meets their learning needs. This accessibility, combined with my active learning teaching, encourages students to ask more questions than in traditional lectures and course structures. I make a point of being as accessible to my students as possible. I talk to my students before class, to see if they have questions about previous material, and more importantly just to gauge how they are feeling. I use classroom response systems in my high enrolment courses to work through review problems with students, to ensure they comprehend previous topics before moving on to new subjects. In my online courses I hold open video office hours after each lecture, and manage several forums for student questions. At the start and end of every semester I survey students in my high enrolment courses about what techniques did and didn’t work, what they hope to get out of the course, and at the end whether or not those expectations were met. This data allows me to adapt and hone my teaching skills each semester.

I believe my teaching techniques empower students to be in charge of their own learning. Empowered students learn more, and become better employees, scholars, and citizens in the process. I believe that students truly do want to learn, and that we as teachers should act as facilitators to help them obtain the knowledge and skills they desire.