I have learnt that a ‘passion for teaching’ is very distinct from a ‘passion for what you teach’ and my goal is to create a synergy of these two passions. I love to teach and I have seen myself transition from an instructor who spells it all out for his students to one who guides them on the quest for understanding . I have also discovered that it is easier to convince someone that a concept or subject can be learnt if I, the guide, am equally enthusiastic about that same subject.

I am continuously learning how to be a better teacher. I spend hours, long after I am done with my classes, to sit back and reflect on what I did right, what I did wrong, what I could have done better and what I should not have done (or said) at all. It is these set of reflections that makes instruction a meaningful endeavor for me. I recognize that no learning session is perfect no matter how hard I try to make it be, and I also realize that the outcomes I get from my sessions could be different if my mode of instruction or target audience was different.

I am versatile, and adapt very quickly. My teaching experience has spanned from teaching Mathematics, Physics and Visual Arts at the High school level, to Introductory Chemistry laboratory sessions at the college level. I have found that teaching in my home country is different in so many ways from teaching in the United States. In my home country, students tend to ‘revere’ their instructors; an unnecessary barrier that stems from the misconception that instructors are intellectually superior. Coming to an environment that presents students with a lot of access to their instructors was confusing to me at first, but I later understood the importance of this; there should be no barriers in the way of learning. Some students learn better with one-on-one tutoring, and some students struggle with fundamental concepts, and the ability to relate with an instructor in a more informal way really helps such students with the learning process.

I value feedback and see it as a vital instructional tool that helps me gauge how well my students are doing as well as areas of my instruction that need improvement. I used to dread grading and getting student's feedback on my instruction but now, I really look forward to it because of the wealth of information contained in such feedback. I use this information to plan future sessions, identify misconceptions, and gauge the level of involvement of myself and my students. In return, my focus has been to provide my students with personalized formative feedback. Yes, we still need to classify our students...employers want to know that they are employing the best talent in the job market; but why do I have to make it easy for the employers? Why can't I get all my students up to speed on the same core competencies? What is wrong with my entire class finishing with (earned) distinctions? Why should I force my students to conform to a bell curve? Again, I realize that this is not always achievable, but that does not deter me from trying.

I am not ashamed to admit that "I do not know" or that "I am not sure". I am however, not comfortable with repeating those phrases too many times in a single course. I do not assume that I am ready for any class so I try to read and re-read my lecture notes, revise my lesson plans, and assume that there is always that one student in my class who is out to get me, and try to be a step ahead by imagining the type of questions that the student might try to ask me in class. I do not consider this to be paranoia, but just being prepared! As a student, I have always respected instructors who admitted uncertainty about a gray area, but in the same stride, have lost confidence in instructors who do not seem to be prepared for any class; there is no reason for me to assume that my students will not have the same stance towards me, so I always prepare for all my classes. I am also worried about perpetuating a misconception that will later become difficult or even impossible to identify and correct...and so I prepare for all my classes.

I believe that a strong start leads to a strong finish and one of the things I do within the first few classes is to allay my students' fears of Chemistry (for instance, by pointing out to them that I am not a chemist by training) This always comes as a shock to most of my students, but it helps to drive home the point that "this subject can be learnt" Many instructors possess an 'expert blind spot' that makes it difficult for them to realize (or remember) that they too, struggled with some of the very same concepts that they now expect their students to somehow magically understand. Realizing that the students lack, in some cases, metacognition of the subject and in most cases, the level of intellectual development required to immediately grasp new and abstract concepts (which are prevalent in the natural and physical sciences) places me in a better position to deliver meaningful instruction.

These reflections and realizations, are what I believe, make me a competent instructor; my ability to recognize and accept my shortcomings, and my willingness to adapt, improve or change a method that does not give me the desirable outcome(s). To avoid the adverse effects of flawed instruction that comes from my personal beliefs about learning, I have enrolled in and completed the Cognate in College Teaching at the University of New Hampshire, and this has served as a good launchpad into further inquiries of what is considered effective teaching, and meaningful learning.