Over the course of my 12 years teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and in developing and developed countries, my approach to student education has shifted from an emphasis on my teaching to a creating an environment which promotes learning and inspires the student to achieve a well-specified goal. My teaching philosophy is inspired by the following quote: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." I am highly motivated by a great teacher who inspired me to pursue graduate study in economics. Hence, inspiring the students is one of the key elements of my teaching philosophy. Interestingly, most of my best teachers who inspired me all the way, have few things in common: a) they know their subjects very well and show incredible interest in the subject they teach; b) they try to motivate students instead of focusing on the limitations the students might have; c) they are very approachable to the students to make the learning environment and experience productive. Yet they maintain some professional distance, when required. In my teaching, I want to adopt all those qualities.
Teaching is an integral part of learning, and I always believe that learning cannot be completed or deep-rooted without teaching. Apparently, teaching well requires a sound knowledge of the subject matter. It's hard to teach unless someone has a good grasp of what he/she is talking about. It is not just all about definition and techniques; it's about why it makes sense. A sound command in the subject matter makes me very comfortable in the class. Besides, being able to read the student's faces is quite an important skill. In my very first class, I try to figure out the student's educational background, their career objectives so on. This gives an excellent opportunity to tailor my course and topics best suited for the students. Moreover, it also gives me an idea about the cohort--whether they are already motivated students (say econ major) or they are taking as required by their major. As economists, we know that incentives matter. I always ask my students how many of them would not take the class if it was not required. Interestingly, a surprising number always says they would not (especially in undergraduate). This is particularly true for most undergraduate economics classes. Then I tell them what economics is about and how is relevant to every discipline. Say, marketing; economics doesn't teach marketing explicitly, but I just tell them why you need to know economics for a better understanding of marketing. Marketing is about selling products and means for doing so. Well, people respond to incentives, and do something that provides the greatest incentive to jump in to that and economics will teach why people behave the way they behave and how they respond to different incentives. Similar stories apply to the finance. I also had a music student. I used the concept of comparative advantage to motivate her telling that her passion to do something could be a place where she might have a comparative advantage, and she liked the idea. These techniques help to motivate students.
I use the tools from modern technology, inspiring them to work both individually and in a group. In fact, the day I discuss relatively difficult concepts, I keep the last few minutes for group discussion, and then I take questions from the group instead of taking the question from a specific person. It seems to be working very well since they can see that many of their classmates are also struggling; and that reduces the pressure to some extent, and so do not hesitate to ask questions. It also teaches them to work with others in group settings.
Though maintaining a professional distance is necessary, too much of it may sometimes dis- tract learning. I remember I learned most from the teachers who were friendly, and approachable; and I also try to maintain that approach. When students see that someone is ready to help them, they never give up. I remember a student who took intermediate microeconomics class; he was struggling a lot, mostly in mathematical proofs or related materials. I asked him to stop by my office and he did many times after getting some encouragement from the first visit. To my surprise, a student who once considered dropping the class ended up getting an A. I felt encouraged when the student attributed his success in the class to my friendliness.
Interestingly, many students told me that though they hated the economics initially, I made them love economics, and some of them even switched to economics major after my class. I believe it is a great experience, and it also shows that I was able to instill some love for this discipline. Another thing I do is remember the students name, and I think the students feel better when I can call them by their name. It has also helped me to keep them attentive since they know that I call them anytime and ask questions.
In sum, I believe teaching is a serious responsibility, and it needs to be handled with care. I also try to avoid things I didn't like while I was a student and to emulate the thing I liked. All of the great teachers have few common traits: good command of the subject, well delivered lectures, caring to the students, and most importantly inspiring the students in accomplishing and reaching a well-specified goal. I believe this is what a great teacher always does. I also try to follow that. This has been well reflected in my teaching evaluations.