Teaching Philosophy 

 In my courses, my primary goal is for students to be able to think critically about the content I present to them. It’s important to understand the fundamentals of the course, and then I want them to be able to apply those to various applications. 

To reach this goal, I focus on assignments where students apply fundamental concepts to solve larger scale, real world problems. These assignments include written components where students are able to explain why they chose the approach they did and how that skill or technique is useful for the overarching issue on which the assignment is focused. This gives students the chance to take several fundamental skills and see how they tie together to solve a larger problem. Writing why each technique is useful reinforces the value of the course content and how these skills fit into the larger picture. An example of this is the final project option I created for EGR 105, an undergraduate intro to coding course for Pratt Engineering students that had several options of final projects so that students could work on real world data that applied to their specific interests and career goals. 

In order to approach real world problem solving, students need to have the fundamental techniques mastered. I believe in a teaching approach that introduces students to a concept, shows them an application to see how to use that skill and interpret results, and then gives the students access to further resources so they can learn how to learn more about the kinds of topics we explore in class.  This gives students the background they need for course specific content, but also shows them how to continue learning outside of the classroom. This ensures they enter employment armed with the skills to continue gaining the knowledge they will need to be successful. An example of this is the asynchronous lesson I created that teaches the specifics skills needed for the above assignment that were not specifically introduced during class. 

Beyond the course work, I strive to make my classroom feel inclusive and my students feel that they are capable of success. I make sure that my office hours are available to as many students as possible and I am prompt in responding to student emails. I make sure when grading to give detailed feedback so that students understand how to improve, and offer the option for resubmissions to encourage continued learning. My goal is for students to have a strong understanding of the core components of a course, and some students require more time to understand certain topics than others. I have found that resubmission of work gives students a reason to continue to wrestle with topics until a deeper understanding is reached. I value student mastery of content over following any specific timeline of learning course material.