Teaching

The fundamental charge of a good teacher is to enhance and inspire student learning. As a teacher, I believe it is my responsibility not only to impart general facts but to challenge students to think critically about topics both inside and outside the classroom. I live by the motto: “tell a student the answer and (s)he learns a simple fact, inspire a student to think, and (s)he learns for a lifetime”.

In order to create an atmosphere that is conducive to learning, a good teacher must spend time preparing and planning outside of class. I believe it is important to be organized, prepared, and extremely familiar with the subject matter. A teacher’s time outside the classroom should be used to create a curriculum that flows logically and smoothly. It is also important to prepare for each class by reviewing the material and anticipating questions or problems that may arise during the class session. Furthermore, knowing more about the subject beyond what is being presented in class allows students to become naturally engaged in questions.

As a teaching technique, I firmly believe in the Socratic method. Learning is significantly facilitated in small groups where students draw their own conclusions about topics based on the debate and/or discussion of the group. To encourage discussion, instructors should cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect where students can explore ideas without fear of embarrassment. In such instances, learning is naturally rewarding, and students form their own opinions without being explicitly told what to think. However, all classes do not lend themselves to this style of teaching. In such cases, I believe the teacher should present the information to students clearly and objectively, unambiguously stating the information if it is assumed to be a fact or characterizing both sides of the argument if there is debate. By doing so, a good teacher allows students to draw their own conclusions from the presented material. In short, a good teacher cultivates students’ critical thinking by encouraging them to learn through empiricism and rationalism.

Finally, as a teacher, I think it is important to model enthusiasm for both the subject being presented and learning in general. Paradoxically, instructors are both teachers and students. By modeling enthusiasm for the subject matter and a general drive to learn, students are presented with an example of how to become successful, lifelong learners.