Lea Marie Bagtas

My Teaching Philosophy

A great teacher-student relationship is a mutual one where both the teacher and the student learn.

As an attorney, I am obligated to take courses to satisfy a mandatory continuing legal education. As a teacher, I am committed to professional development which requires taking courses to improve my teaching practices. Therefore, I know what it's like to be a student and I empathize with students.

The most important thing I learned as a student is how I learn. When I tailored my approach, based on how I learn, to homework, projects, and exams, I saw a substantial improvement in my performance. Similarly, when I tailor my approach to teaching based on how my students learn, I see a substantial improvement in student performance.

My approach to teaching puts students in the center by allowing them to take control of their learning experiences. Students have the power to become an invaluable resource for other students, teachers, and the community as a whole. Each and every student comes from unique backgrounds with different set of skills from which other people can learn. Rather than dictate instructions and be a mere deliverer of information to students, I help students customize their learning by helping them find the learning method that best suits their unique background and skills.

The process of learning does not move forward without students' active involvement and participation. My goal is to provide a supportive learning environment that motivates students and expands their knowledge. Throughout my course, students have plenty of opportunities to share relevant and meaningful content that puts them in control of their learning experience.