Teaching

Teaching Philosophy

My core philosophy is to teach my students lessons that I wish I had learned earlier in my academic career. I do this by putting myself in their shoes and thinking hard about what I would want to learn as a student their age. My main focus is to help my students achieve the best version of themselves and to make sure that they leave my class both enlightened and prepared for the future. This is done by sharing my own personal wisdom as well as showing all the resources available to them through the University and Internet.

I also take pride in my “modern” style of teaching by using technology to foster learning rather than getting rid of it completely. I do this by showing the vast number of resources one can use to either learn more about the industry, get involved in it, or foster overall personal/professional/academic development. I like to take a ground-up approach to teaching by solidifying the fundamentals of the material before moving onto the more complex ideas. This helps my students become accustomed to my teaching methods and style. If possible, I like to give assignments that seek both “right or wrong” answers as well as seek creative expression that can be argued in multiple ways. This is to not only stimulate creativity but to also see each student’s interests, writing styles, and speaking styles. I also try to give lessons and assignments that are relevant personally, academically, and personally to foster both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of the student.

One of my core beliefs in life is that asking questions is one of the most important actions a student can take since it shows that they are wise enough to know what they don’t know and courageous enough to display this fact amongst their peers. I also believe in the importance of keeping an open mind since I not only believe that my students can learn from me, but that I can also learn from them. To instill a practical and continuous improvement approach to the class, I like to put up a survey midway through the semester to see if anything can be improved or changed before the semester is over. Through my philosophy, I hope to instill a love of learning amongst my students for them to become lifelong learners.