Teaching Philosophy

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. – Albert Einstein

Teaching and learning are two complementary aspects of humankind’s endless pursuit of knowledge; an academic environment provides an opportunity to integrate them in a way not possible in any other setting. The pedagogy of teaching physics presents unique challenges. I believe that expertise and versatility in the field is indispensable for effective teaching, sharing the gift of knowledge, inspiring young students, and making them eager to learn and discover. Effective teaching requires the ability to motivate and engage students which are somewhat intangible qualities, but enthusiasm for the subject matter and the learning experience is essential. Firsthand knowledge of recent developments in a discipline also adds immediacy and interest to teaching at the undergraduate level.

Central to my teaching philosophy is my belief that science, and in particular physics, is predominantly an approach to solving problems inherent in nature. The principles that guide my teaching are respect, clarity and the tools I employ to achieve my goals are an interactive classroom environment and hands-on experience. My approach to teaching is a reflection of my approach to physics research. I take a great deal of pleasure in taking on complex problems, not because they are complex, but because by breaking them down systematically, I hope to gain insight into the fundamental physics at their core.

My goal as a teacher is to foster critical thinking, facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills, and prepare students to be competitive in today’s fast-paced society so that they can apply their knowledge to solve the problems they face in life. In fact, these skills are the most important assets that physicist have to offer students. For most introductory students, it is not the physical principles that they find difficult to grasp; it is the rigorous application of a problem-solving method that stresses breaking down complexity into manageable parts that they struggle with. As a teacher of physics, I want to engage, excite, and motivate students about the wonders of the world around them. Rather than simply lecturing to a class, I strive to cultivate an interactive, collaborative, student-centered learning environment in which students can express themselves freely while learning to engage with physics in meaningful ways and can actively take part in intellectual conversation.

I strongly believe that any educational institution in the world has the primary responsibility to impart knowledge, instill civic values, and train the citizens of tomorrow. Additionally, appreciation of the importance of outreach is crucial to increasing the visibility of the university within the community. These goals are possible only through dynamic program and interplay between three pillars: the students, the teacher and the subject matter. I believe that the teacher’s role in the learning process is that of a facilitator who brings these three pillars into trialogue.

While teaching for last 12 years, I gradually developed my teaching principle and strategies for student success, which I am summarizing in the following points:

1. My teaching principles are guided by respect, clarity and motivation; and my highest priority is to create student friendly class atmosphere so that students will not afraid to ask question, make remark, answer my question and actively take part in class discussion;

2. I always teach materials with full of energy, excitement and a lot of in class activities to motivate and engage students and make class interesting;

3. I use different innovative tools such as clicker, think-pair shear, muddiest points, flipped classes, relevant videos to make class more interactive and engage student

4. I always use course and learning management system such as Blackboard, Canvas and iLearn for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of e-learning education.

5. I use demonstrations to enhance the material presented in the textbooks and lectures on a weekly basis, or more often if appropriate;

6. I always try to make lessons as personal as possible to address individual needs;

7. I always try to connect text context to everyday life to motivate and make class interesting;

8. I regularly arrive early to class, stay late after class. So that students have some time to interact with me. I reserve office hour to help struggling students to raise their level.

9. I want to facilitate and cultivate an interactive, collaborative, student-centered learning, reasoning and problem solving skills rather than simply lecturing to a class

10. I firmly believe in regular homework assignments, quizzes, as well examinations utilizing a hybrid of written and multiple choice questions to assess a student’s retention and critical thinking skills. Graded assessments can be, and should be, used as educational tools not as an agent of punishment. Moreover, I always willing to accept criticism, suggestions and comments and adjust course when needed.

The environment of a liberal art college is an ideal setting to practice and achieve the goals I described above. There is no doubt that a private atmosphere of small classes significantly increases the effectiveness of learning. Moreover, I encourage my students' to visit my office and ask questions, and make sure that they are satisfied with my answers. I believe that this openness and availability of teachers is the most important benefit of liberal art colleges for students, and I strongly support and appreciate the opinion that this is the way the teaching has to be done.

The most rewarding part of teaching is that I am helping to create a more scientifically literate society. After each well-taught class I feel a great satisfaction, which increases in knowing that the vast majority of students evaluate my work positively. It is for these reasons that I am excited about joining a liberal arts institution that focuses on undergraduate teaching, research, and community outreach.