At bottom, my teaching pedagogy involves guiding students toward autonomous learning. In my experience, the more students can be motivated to work through philosophical material on their own, the more deeply they will learn and retain it. I design both my course curricula and my personal practices with this aim in mind.
I draw the ideas and arguments in class on the chalkboard using a concept map, and I encourage students to store information this way (by hand, if possible). I also emphasize the importance of understanding the material rather than simply memorizing it; in logic courses, I challenge my students to find the solutions to problems in their heads before writing anything down. I acquired this technique through teaching chess (where being able to mentally visualize long sequences is a required skill), but I have found that it also helps logic students develop the ability to solve derivations. In more traditional philosophy classes, I use the classic “think-pair-share” technique, where students first consider a question silently, and then exchange and discuss their answers with their neighbors. I find this technique scales well as class size increases and provides a nice balance between individualized pacing and centralized organization. It can also lead to broader engagement in the larger group discussions that follow, because students have had a chance to vet their ideas with a partner, alleviating some of their anxieties about participating. My assignments are also designed with student autonomy in mind. For instance, I give an assignment requiring use of the online discussion boards, because this offers the students a low-stakes way to practice their writing and organize their thoughts. I also give an assignment requiring students to discuss the course material with someone outside the class, which gives students an opportunity to solidify their learning by teaching.
My practices as a teacher are aimed at designing a classroom environment that is conducive to participation. For example, I always begin the first session by collecting data from the students about their backgrounds, interests, and concerns. Then on the second day, I discuss how I will try to address everyone’s shared anxieties, taking particular care to express my commitment to personally helping students who have disabilities or who otherwise feel marginalized. In general, it is not difficult to be sensitive to students’ needs—both as individuals and as an entire class—nor is it difficult to demonstrate that sensitivity. This pays immediate dividends in student trust. The sooner a class comes to trust me, the sooner they will begin to engage with me, and thus, the more they will ultimately learn.
STUDENT EVALUATIONS: