Teaching is why I do this job

My philosophy on teaching:

My foremost goal as a teacher is to leave students with both the ability and desire to analyze economic phenomena in the world around them. To do this, students must first have a stake in the subject matter beyond their grade in the course. How can we impart to students the same passion for economics that we as instructors have? First and foremost, we must display a genuine interest in what we teach. I have found that injecting my own research into courses in a manner accessible to the students has reinforced both my teaching and research.

Some general tips on teaching:

Imparting a desire to learn must be accompanied by effective pedagogy. The most important feature of a course is its organization and an effective course requires both a logical sequence and tightly orchestrated class sessions. This does not mean that each class must follow a formula, however. My classes use traditional “chalk and talk” lectures, slides, peer learning, group case studies, and experiments. Concepts are explained both explicitly and intuitively, with a wide range of examples used. A variety of teaching styles is crucial both to hold interest and to accommodate the heterogeneous learning styles of our diverse students. To this end, I provide my students with a wealth of reference materials such as practice exams, podcasts, and weekly assessments. I have also made an effort to utilize instructional technology to facilitate active learning. I also feel that it is critical that we as teachers be available outside of class, as one-on-one interactions are an essential component to learning. I thoroughly enjoy meeting with students during office hours not only to better help them understand the material, but also to share their perspectives on topics I am passionate about. These discussions have led to research collaborations and directed studies. The opportunity to help mentor students has continuously reinvigorated my passion for both research and teaching.

Courses I have taught (with syllabi below)