My first exposure to Economics was during my undergraduate studies at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. What really attracted me to Economics was the fact that we were learning theories about the workings of daily life. Thomas Sargent, quoting his teaching assistant, once said, “Economics is organized common sense.” This statement truly resonates with my own initial impression of the field of Economics. The mathematical treatment of the cost-benefit analyses underlying the most mundane of decisions fascinated me and kept me intrigued. As a teacher of Economics, I strive to inspire students in the same manner by showing them that the concepts discussed in class would not only be relevant to their future work but could also enrich their thought processes and everyday decision making.

In the classroom, my ultimate goal is the students’ understanding of concepts. Clarity of concepts is the bedrock on which application can be built. During my teaching tenure at Texas A&M University (TAMU), Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA), and now at Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Dubai, I have taught different Economics courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels in different formats: face-to-face, online, full-time, and weekend. These experiences have helped me identify four key strategies to be an effective teacher.

1. Real-life examples and student involvement: Probably the most popular quote about effective learning is by Benjamin Franklin: “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” In my own classes, I involve students by using real-life examples to explain economic concepts. For example, asking students about their responses to price increases of gasoline versus that of a Big Mac made price elasticity of demand a more relatable topic. In discussing the features of perfect competition, while I spoke of nail salons at SFA, I gave the example of a date souq in IMT. As a teaching assistant for an introductory Econometrics class, I learned teaching strategies to make even statistics palatable. The professor collected data from students including their height, weight, gender, parents' height etc. This data was then used to demonstrate various statistical concepts for the rest of the semester. Since they were the population being studied, the students were more involved and more responsive to the material. I then followed the same strategy in my Applied statistics classes, which made the students very engaged in learning.

2. Encouraging analytical thought: My teaching style could probably be best described as engaging and challenging. With the goal of developing clear-cut concepts in class, I try my best to present the material in an analytical fashion. If there are questions along the way, I guide the students with leading questions so that they arrive at the answers themselves. My aim is to instill a questioning bent of mind among students instead of rewarding memorization. In my classes, I provide students with ample opportunities to apply the concepts learnt from example problems at the end of the class to case and (newspaper) article analyses.

3. Communication: I believe a big part of teaching is communicating. While teachers always have the opportunity to deliver their material and the message they want to convey, students often don't. Encouraging them to speak up and ask questions in class alone might not be sufficient for every student and their learning style. So, I provide my students with different avenues to communicate such as discussions after class, flexible office hours, and communication through email. Creating a Facebook page and/or WhatsApp group for the class has proved to be a very popular sparking discussions among students and the formation of study groups. By always being open to suggestions and paying attention, I try to convey how much I valued their learning.

4. Periodic assessments: Through my teaching tenure, I have really come to appreciate the importance of regular quizzes and assessments because they help to achieve multiple goals. They provide valuable feedback about the progress of the students and their grasp of the material. Adding an element of uncertainty by making them surprise quizzes boosts attendance. Making it interactive using a medium like Kahoot really helps me bring out the competitive and sporty spirit of each and every student. Last but not the least, by providing extra opportunities for students to boost their grades, the quizzes encourage them to try harder and keep their morale up.

My passion for teaching was an important reason for me to pursue a Ph.D., so it will be great to continue doing that and enriching young minds.