Teaching Philosophy

Why do I teach? Because I like it. It’s been 18 years of lecturing, and yet, I like to enter classrooms to teach students philosophy, critical thinking, Ukrainian current thought, and other courses. I feel energized after a class that had gone well. 

I hardly prepare for my lessons as I think that a lecturer has to be an expert in the area that he teaches. If a lecturer does not understand the subject entirely, he cannot teach this subject to students well. So the courses that I teach are the results of my own multiyear research of primary sources as well as books and articles of the best researchers in the area. I especially pay large attention to analyzing latest academic articles because I believe that my students need to get up-to-date knowledge. On the other hand, teaching improves my research, as while lecturing, I better understand the issues, and students’ questions help me see new aspects of the area. 

I believe that as a lecturer, I have two main objectives. Firstly, I help students construct a conceptual framework that allows them to integrate and organize new knowledge and information into a coherent structure. Secondly, I help them discover problem-solving strategies that are connected with the area and assist them in applying these strategies successfully. In learning, I enable students to undertake tasks similar to those undertaken by professionals within a discipline.

When I do my lesson planning, I want to create an atmosphere that encourages participation and involvement. Hence, I present themes and materials that are gauged to students’ needs and interests. As a lecturer, I strive to challenge and inspire growth in my students. I bring students into direct engagement with primary sources. Debates and thought experiments are a regular part of my classes.

Instructing has continually challenged me to make lectures fresh and effective. As I continue to learn and grow as a lecturer, I view CLIL (content and language integrated learning) and online learning as extremely promising areas for further exploration. After 18 years in the classroom, I still leave each session asking how the next might be better and how to engage and inspire this unique set of students. My students like my approach to teaching, and this exhilarates me.