Teaching Philosophy

Every student is an individual, with their own particular learning style and needs. Each individual student walks into my classroom for a reason; each reason being as individual and unique as the students themselves, but there is always a reason. My experience teaching has been almost exclusively teaching chemistry related recitation and class laboratories. My students are generally those that aspire to become doctors, nurses, and other professional careers. It is rare that I get even one student in a class of thirty that want to go into a chemistry related field when they graduate. Each individual has a different reason for taking my chemistry courses, and because of that I find it necessary to use examples that all students can relate to. This means that I must come up with new, exciting ways to teach chemistry that do not involve actual chemistry, because my students are not chemists!

Many instructors become disconnected with their students because the instructors have forgotten what it is like to not have known the information they are imparting and sometimes students feel that they cannot bridge the knowledge gap. To help ease this gap in my own classrooms I incorporate times that students can engage with each other and therefore have someone closer to their level of understanding talking to them and then I act as a facilitate or guide if they get stuck, Vygotski (1987) termed these learning gaps as the Zone of Proximal Development. I feel that often times students are overwhelmed with interacting with teachers, whether it is asking or responding to questions. Finally, students’ attention can start to wane after about 10 minutes of lecturing. Because of this, if I must speak for that amount of time, I try to break up my time lecturing and use examples that require physical involvement from my students. My goal is to actively engage the students, so I do not lose them, and they continuously learn from me.

I draw heavily on humanistic or facilitated learning (Laird, 1985) which is based on a belief that students want to learn but need help and patience to accomplish their goals. Being understanding that students have other concerns besides just the class that you see them in is crucial for building of a relationship of trust. It is a rare thing to find someone whose only passion in life is chemistry, and it is not realistic for me to expect all my students to put all their time and effort into my chemistry course. Many students struggle to see why chemical reactions will help them in their future medical careers. Because of this, I must make what I teach relatable. Spacing of atoms becomes people standing in an elevator; breaking of bonds become relationships beginning or ending. Trust is vital between students and teachers. I involve my students by having them come up to the front of the room to enhance visuals and demonstrate examples. Without that trust it would be impossible to get willing students to volunteer. All students want to succeed, and I find that reinforcing concepts with a non-chemistry example creates simple connections that allow the students to recall information more easily. In addition, group work is vital for students’ learning. It would be impossible for me to work with the students one-on-one all the time. Once students learn a concept, having them explain it to their fellow students helps them understand the material even better. Finally, I always encourage them to seek help with concepts they do not understand at office hours or via email, which I try to answer as quickly as possible, especially during test week.

My teaching philosophy is simple. Treat students as individuals with problems they can solve instead of just individual problems that need to be solved. Every person has had experiences that have lead them to this part of their lives. As teaching professionals we are here to serve as guides on their learning experience. We cannot force students to get help but if they are seeking it we should be ready and willing to assist in any way possible. Ideally, we have already been where they are and know the common pitfalls and concerns. Learning should be an enjoyable experience that students look forward to rather than a painful reminder of their shortcomings.

References

Laird, D. (1985). Approaches to training and development. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Minds in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA, USA: Harvard University Press.