Philosophy and Courses

My teaching philosophy is the result of my own experiences as a learner and as an instructor at both the high school and higher education levels. One of my goals as a teacher is to try to take otherwise complicated concepts, organize them in a digestible format, and elucidate them to students in such a way that they may be more easily grasped. My classroom practices reflect my varied experiences as well and individual classes are often divided up into two or more segments of instruction types, including presentation/lecture, demonstration, guided small group or pair work, and open discussion.

According to Thomas M. Rollins, founder of The Teaching Company, learning should be “a rich, intellectual adventure” and professors should be “funny, insightful, and thorough”. I couldn’t agree more. While some disagree that professors should occasionally play the role of entertainer, this is not in accordance with my teaching philosophy. Even though I believe that a professor’s primary responsibility is the passing along of ideas, a successful professor can entertain as she teaches, leading the students on an adventure of new ideas. Attending classes should be an agreeable experience and one that keeps the mind engaged. Teaching students to love learning is one of the most challenging, yet pivotal parts of the educational experience. It is to give them a gift that will benefit them for their entire lives. I try to show my students that languages are full of fascinating phenomena and that I stand before them to help them discover a small part of that world.