Educational Philosophy

Education in our times must try to find whatever there is in students that might yearn for completion, and to reconstruct the learning that would enable them autonomously to seek that completion.

Allan Bloom (b. 1930–1992)

Teaching and learning is a continuous process in life for any individual. Both the teacher and student are learners in different ways.

Even before starting my career as a teacher I knew that it is what I would be. My father has been working as a professor for over twenty years in institutions of higher learning. I have seen his positive influence on his students’ coursework and career. He always says teaching is a great service to humanity achieved by distributing and transferring the knowledge to those who need it for their progress and development in life. This had a direct influence on me and I knew this is what I will be doing in my life. The impact on a life changed by education can be almost euphoric for the teacher.

My main objective during teaching is to provide knowledge to the students at the appropriate levels: a) make sure that students understand the idea I am trying to convey, b) prepare students for the next level of education, c) develop the understanding of students, such that they adapt the process of thinking rather than memorizing facts and principles, d) develop practical skills and techniques to work confidently in laboratories, e) demonstrate how chemistry is part of their daily lives, and f) to use alternative methods of teaching to keep students motivated and interested during the course of their study in the semester, and hopefully for the rest of their lives.

I see myself as a guide for the students in their journey of education: I will like to take them through a certain distance, teach them some skills, give them ideas and lead them to their next guide and then let them proceed. Having taught all types of students: freshman to senior; varied intellectual levels; kinesthetic learner to the passive kind; I have learnt to mould my teaching to different needs. I don’t believe that teaching is just standing in the front of the class and lecturing for an hour. I encourage cooperative and active learning in my class. My teaching methods have included:

• Traditional lecture

• Student group work and practice where I provide practice sheets on certain topics.

• Live demonstration – nothing works better than visualizing a concept.

• Real life examples – by relating chemistry their lives.

• Arranging field trips so they can see what chemists do and how it all connects.

• Research papers – where they explore more on their own.

After attending a number of conferences and workshops in education, I have included three aspects in all my courses: 1) technology, 2) diversity (multiculturalism) and 3) service learning. I have flipped my classroom, so we can have practice more in class and learn outside the class. My video lectures are available to students on YouTube. In addition I also use LiveScribe pen technology to show how to solve problems in chemistry.

Over the years I have improved a great deal in my teaching, whether it is in designing my syllabus, modifying course content to present times, or active involvement of the students in class. Every year there is something new to do in class, or learn from students about improving my teaching technique. Just as there is no destination in learning there is none in teaching.