Teaching Philosophy
Recently, I was talking with a group of students before my Marriage and Family Relations class and an interesting question came up: "What is the weirdest class you've ever taken?"
The first student to speak up, who I'll call David, had an answer that surprised me: "This one," he said.
Taken aback (and trying not to be a little offended), I asked, "How so?"
"Every other class I take," David explained, "is something that might apply to my future: my History class will be really helpful if I become a teacher, and I'm taking a Math class that will be really useful if I go into Business. But this class is about real life." He went on to explain that the class was already changing aspects of his life: his current family relationships and his ideas about his future family. In short, David recognized the real-world value of what he was learning.
I am honored, now, to think that I teach the weirdest class at the College! I have taught over 3800 students at various institutions of higher education, and I have always sought to help them discover what David described. To make that possible, I ground my work in three pillars of a powerful education: Purpose, Passion, and People.
Purpose: Valuing the Content
I believe that students are motivated to learn material that is directly relevant to their own lives: both personally and professionally. Consequently, there are few things as important as encouraging students to see the practical value and real-world application of the principles discussed in the classroom. If what happens during class does not make it out the door and into real lives (students’ own, as well as members of their communities), together we have failed.
Because I want my students to recognize the value of the course content, I often tell incoming students (and remind departing students): “This isn’t photosynthesis that will just ‘work out’ with no effort on your part. It matters to me whether you remember this material when you leave this classroom.” My students’ comments and feedback suggest that they understand the value of the course material, and that is very rewarding to me. Consistently, my students say that the class was one of the most beneficial courses they have taken, that they are actively applying the material in their personal lives, or that the material has influenced (or will influence) their work in the community.
In short, I believe strongly in the value of the material, and I feel that true success or failure happens in the “real world.” Coming back to that idea frequently helps me, as an educator, to ground the class in what really matters.
Passion: Presenting the Material
I believe that students come to value the material most readily when an educator presents the content with passion. Years ago, as an undergraduate student, I enrolled in a general education course that did not interest me at all. However, the professor had a palpable enthusiasm for the material and presented it in such a way that it inspired me with a desire to learn more. Like that professor, I am passionate about the courses that I teach. I strive to be a consistently energetic, engaging teacher. I want my students to feel the power of an electrically charged classroom environment; I believe this makes the material come alive.
My teaching style includes a number of strategies that (a) make the classroom experience interesting and (b) keep the students engaged. I involve students in class and group discussions, I move around the classroom rather than standing behind a podium, I vary the tone and pace of my speech, I use humor, and I share relevant experiences from my own life. My goal is to make the classroom a place that feels energized and exciting. I believe that, when I do so, my students stay more fully engaged in the daily discussion and are more eager to return to class again.
People: Respecting the Individual
While the phrase “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” sounds trite, I have found it to be true in my experiences as an educator. I believe that great educators are those who display a genuine concern for their students. I try to communicate that concern in a number of ways, beginning with learning my students’ names as early as possible and using them frequently. For me, this is a simple way to say, “You matter here.” In addition, I encourage students to get to know each other. Because the course content in Family Studies has such ready application to everyday life, I recognize that every individual has something important to contribute. Thus, I raise discussion points in class every day, and I often have students work together in small discussion groups during class.
As an educator with monaural (single-sided) deafness, I am especially aware of the difficulties that accompany disabilities. Shortly after losing my hearing on my left side, I had a life-changing conversation with Dr. Dennis Haynes, a professor of Social Work at the University of Texas with whom I had co-authored a piece in the International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. Dennis surprised me by revealing that he, too, had monaural deafness. He showed me that by acknowledging my disability, I could make (and request) simple adjustments to my work environment so that my hearing loss need not interfere with my role as an educator. I hope to show that same level of concern for my own students, to serve as a role model for individuals with disabilities and show them that a disability does not need to stop them from fulfilling their goals. I strive to maintain a classroom atmosphere that emphasizes the worth of every individual, regardless of his or her abilities.
In addition to the atmosphere of the class, I believe the structure of the course itself communicates the degree to which an educator cares about people. I believe that students gain the most when the course is vigorous and challenging, and I give quizzes nearly every day to help my students stay on top of the demanding pace. Rather than complaining about this, my students’ comments (included below) have indicated that they appreciate this practice. At the same time, however, I intentionally build “Lifelines” into the course structure in order to protect students when “life happens” (an illness or accident, an out-of-town competition, a job interview, an important family gathering, etc.). Specifically, I drop the lowest essay assignment score and the lowest quiz score for each student. (See the syllabi for Lifespan Human Development, for by way of example.) By emphasizing both hard work and flexibility, I push my students to fulfill their potential while I assure them that I respect the occasional situation that supersedes the importance of course performance.
I believe that these small actions mean a lot to people. I want my students to know that they, as individuals, are important and that they have a valuable contribution to provide, both within and outside of the classroom.
Participation: Involving the Individual
As noted above, I involve my students in interactive discussions daily. Some of my students have literally never had a class with a substantial degree of individual involvement. They have been exposed to one philosophy of teaching: that the instructor is the expert and others’ views are, by comparison, unimportant. I do not adhere to that philosophy; I want my students to be dynamic participants in the learning process, because I believe that the more involved each person is, the more she or he internalizes the information. Thus, I encourage my students to come to class expecting to participate, and I give them opportunities to do so daily.
I recognize that people cannot participate freely when they are worried about how others will react to them or to their ideas. Therefore, I establish interpersonal respect as one of the fundamental ground rules for my classes. No student is required to agree with anyone else’s views (including my own), but it is expected that disagreements are voiced in a way that does not attack another human being. This is important to me because I want my classroom to be a “safe place” where students can speak their minds in an atmosphere that is supportive, regardless of whether others share their views or not.
Conclusion
In short, I strive for excellence in my teaching by grounding my work in these interrelated themes. My experiences as a teacher, across a variety of educational settings, have underscored the importance of each of these themes for me. Because these are high ideals, it demands constant focus and a persistent willingness to try to improve my performance. The dynamic nature of that challenge is part of what makes teaching a rewarding experience for me.
The first student to speak up, who I'll call David, had an answer that surprised me: "This one," he said.
Taken aback (and trying not to be a little offended), I asked, "How so?"
"Every other class I take," David explained, "is something that might apply to my future: my History class will be really helpful if I become a teacher, and I'm taking a Math class that will be really useful if I go into Business. But this class is about real life." He went on to explain that the class was already changing aspects of his life: his current family relationships and his ideas about his future family. In short, David recognized the real-world value of what he was learning.
I am honored, now, to think that I teach the weirdest class at the College! I have taught over 3800 students at various institutions of higher education, and I have always sought to help them discover what David described. To make that possible, I ground my work in three pillars of a powerful education: Purpose, Passion, and People.
Purpose: Valuing the Content
I believe that students are motivated to learn material that is directly relevant to their own lives: both personally and professionally. Consequently, there are few things as important as encouraging students to see the practical value and real-world application of the principles discussed in the classroom. If what happens during class does not make it out the door and into real lives (students’ own, as well as members of their communities), together we have failed.
Because I want my students to recognize the value of the course content, I often tell incoming students (and remind departing students): “This isn’t photosynthesis that will just ‘work out’ with no effort on your part. It matters to me whether you remember this material when you leave this classroom.” My students’ comments and feedback suggest that they understand the value of the course material, and that is very rewarding to me. Consistently, my students say that the class was one of the most beneficial courses they have taken, that they are actively applying the material in their personal lives, or that the material has influenced (or will influence) their work in the community.
In short, I believe strongly in the value of the material, and I feel that true success or failure happens in the “real world.” Coming back to that idea frequently helps me, as an educator, to ground the class in what really matters.
Passion: Presenting the Material
I believe that students come to value the material most readily when an educator presents the content with passion. Years ago, as an undergraduate student, I enrolled in a general education course that did not interest me at all. However, the professor had a palpable enthusiasm for the material and presented it in such a way that it inspired me with a desire to learn more. Like that professor, I am passionate about the courses that I teach. I strive to be a consistently energetic, engaging teacher. I want my students to feel the power of an electrically charged classroom environment; I believe this makes the material come alive.
My teaching style includes a number of strategies that (a) make the classroom experience interesting and (b) keep the students engaged. I involve students in class and group discussions, I move around the classroom rather than standing behind a podium, I vary the tone and pace of my speech, I use humor, and I share relevant experiences from my own life. My goal is to make the classroom a place that feels energized and exciting. I believe that, when I do so, my students stay more fully engaged in the daily discussion and are more eager to return to class again.
People: Respecting the Individual
While the phrase “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” sounds trite, I have found it to be true in my experiences as an educator. I believe that great educators are those who display a genuine concern for their students. I try to communicate that concern in a number of ways, beginning with learning my students’ names as early as possible and using them frequently. For me, this is a simple way to say, “You matter here.” In addition, I encourage students to get to know each other. Because the course content in Family Studies has such ready application to everyday life, I recognize that every individual has something important to contribute. Thus, I raise discussion points in class every day, and I often have students work together in small discussion groups during class.
As an educator with monaural (single-sided) deafness, I am especially aware of the difficulties that accompany disabilities. Shortly after losing my hearing on my left side, I had a life-changing conversation with Dr. Dennis Haynes, a professor of Social Work at the University of Texas with whom I had co-authored a piece in the International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family. Dennis surprised me by revealing that he, too, had monaural deafness. He showed me that by acknowledging my disability, I could make (and request) simple adjustments to my work environment so that my hearing loss need not interfere with my role as an educator. I hope to show that same level of concern for my own students, to serve as a role model for individuals with disabilities and show them that a disability does not need to stop them from fulfilling their goals. I strive to maintain a classroom atmosphere that emphasizes the worth of every individual, regardless of his or her abilities.
In addition to the atmosphere of the class, I believe the structure of the course itself communicates the degree to which an educator cares about people. I believe that students gain the most when the course is vigorous and challenging, and I give quizzes nearly every day to help my students stay on top of the demanding pace. Rather than complaining about this, my students’ comments (included below) have indicated that they appreciate this practice. At the same time, however, I intentionally build “Lifelines” into the course structure in order to protect students when “life happens” (an illness or accident, an out-of-town competition, a job interview, an important family gathering, etc.). Specifically, I drop the lowest essay assignment score and the lowest quiz score for each student. (See the syllabi for Lifespan Human Development, for by way of example.) By emphasizing both hard work and flexibility, I push my students to fulfill their potential while I assure them that I respect the occasional situation that supersedes the importance of course performance.
I believe that these small actions mean a lot to people. I want my students to know that they, as individuals, are important and that they have a valuable contribution to provide, both within and outside of the classroom.
Participation: Involving the Individual
As noted above, I involve my students in interactive discussions daily. Some of my students have literally never had a class with a substantial degree of individual involvement. They have been exposed to one philosophy of teaching: that the instructor is the expert and others’ views are, by comparison, unimportant. I do not adhere to that philosophy; I want my students to be dynamic participants in the learning process, because I believe that the more involved each person is, the more she or he internalizes the information. Thus, I encourage my students to come to class expecting to participate, and I give them opportunities to do so daily.
I recognize that people cannot participate freely when they are worried about how others will react to them or to their ideas. Therefore, I establish interpersonal respect as one of the fundamental ground rules for my classes. No student is required to agree with anyone else’s views (including my own), but it is expected that disagreements are voiced in a way that does not attack another human being. This is important to me because I want my classroom to be a “safe place” where students can speak their minds in an atmosphere that is supportive, regardless of whether others share their views or not.
Conclusion
In short, I strive for excellence in my teaching by grounding my work in these interrelated themes. My experiences as a teacher, across a variety of educational settings, have underscored the importance of each of these themes for me. Because these are high ideals, it demands constant focus and a persistent willingness to try to improve my performance. The dynamic nature of that challenge is part of what makes teaching a rewarding experience for me.