My teaching philosophy centers on the facts that the students are the major stakeholder of the learning endeavor, no two students are alike, and that instruction should be done in a way that makes sense to them by using methods that work for them. I firmly believe that learning can be fun and that anything can be learnt irrespective of how abstract or convoluted the learning material may seem to be. Discovery made by oneself is long lasting and more meaningful than ‘mere facts’ acquired from instruction. The factual and "accept it as it is" nature of the physical sciences can lead to very boring learning sessions where the students see themselves as nothing more than recipients of already establishes packets of information. Hence, I see the utility of discovery laboratory experiences where the students form their own knowledge, while the instructor serves as a guide.

I believe that the science of teaching and learning is evolving and that the hallmark of a good instructor is the willingness to find, accept and incorporate proven effective strategies into their instruction. I realize that all strategies may not be effective for every course or audience, and proper research should guide and determine those that are suitable. I begin each course with a declaration of my intentions, expectations, the desired learning objectives and a clear road map on how these objectives will be achieved. I also try to identify my students' misconceptions as I have realized that some of these misconceptions are deeply rooted and highly resistant to instruction. I cannot achieve or boast of achieving meaningful instruction if these two things are not done. As no sane person would wade into waters without testing the depth and temperature of the water, no teacher should begin teaching without gauging the ambience of the class and understanding its dynamics.

Active learning entails the students making meaningful connections to learning material through a lot of mechanisms like prediction, diagnosis, manipulation, deconstruction and reconstruction etc. It may or may not involve working in a group, but the fundamental tenet is that the students themselves must come to the point of realization of a “truth”. The processes and mechanisms involved ensure that this realization is firm and long-lasting, and the skills and knowledge acquired can be transferred to solving or scrutinizing other problems. I believe that my students need to be actively involved in the learning process and that the best way to do so is to serve as a guide on their quest for discovery; someone who knows when to nudge them, to let them struggle a bit in the murky waters, help them identify desired landmarks and pull them back if they have missed pertinent points. These are usually not innate qualities, hence I believe in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and that all instructors should be trained to know how to teach.

Inquiry sections in the form of tests, surveys, opinion polls, etc. that are developed to probe the content and quality of their prior knowledge as well as their retention of recently taught concepts are vital and help to determine the pace and future direction of the class. In addition to this, these same tools can be used to establish the "truths" that we would want our students to leave each class with. My general stance is that there are no right or wrong responses; all are welcome and afterwards, the entire class works to screen these (usually impressive) responses to determine one (in some cases, a few) which is the dominant “truth”. I also believe in and have incorporated strategies that force my students to develop higher-order reasoning and some of these strategies involve self-explanation, explanation to others, disassembling a construct (in the form of critiquing a topic, seminar, procedure or equation) and engagements in thought experiments of the “what if” nature where alternate possibilities are presented and used as a validation and consolidation tool. I have found that my students particularly love thought experiments and they have proven to be very effective for recognizing existing misconceptions (especially when I want to consolidate a recently learnt concept)

I recognize the threat of cognitive overload and do not subscribe to the somewhat pervasive school of thought that the "more difficult or convoluted a question or concept is, the better it is for students' learning" Desirable difficulties are good, but only to the extent that the students have the necessary foundational knowledge required to address the difficulty. Asking students who have no knowledge of Quantum Physics to solve questions related to the 'finite potential energy well' is like marinating them in barbecue spices and asking them to go for a walk in a lion's den.

I have found that using models and illustrations that students can relate with, greatly helps in the learning process; it keeps their attention, engages them in discussion and if the models/illustrations are properly chosen, ingrains the desired concept in them. I believe in collaborative work and the power of peer-led instruction, but I also recognize that these learning activities come with the risk of transmitting and consolidating flawed knowledge. I mitigate these risks by ensuring that I listen-in on group conversations and get regular feedback on the progress of group-work so that I can redirect their line of thought if necessary. Setting a limit on the number of questions that each group can ask me is very effective for integrative learning; it forces my students to engage more and hash out issues with their group members, instead of running to me for help at every turn. This technique has proven to be so effective that during my lab sessions, I overhear students debating if a question is good enough to be asked. I usually end up getting very little to no questions from the entire class and have observed a remarkable improvement in the quality of responses in their lab reports. I believe in the power of feedback and I ensure that I get students’ feedback on my instruction as well as give them clear, timely and detailed formative feedback on their work and progress.

I have seen my students develop to the point that they begin to clarify difficult concepts to their peers and seeing them do this properly is always the highlight of my day. This reflects my vision of learning as a process where my students 'learn' to create their own knowledge and ultimately, become individuals who can draw reasonable inferences based on data and evidence; the qualities that are desired of a scientist (or rational person at the least)

These are some of the components/strategies that I believe can be used to achieve meaningful learning for the students; learning that will persist years after the students have left the classroom, and strategies that they can apply to other aspects of life. This I believe, is true learning!