Teaching Philosophy
I consider being a teacher to be an action-oriented, empathetic process. Specifically, I include thoughtful interaction, deliberate preparation, and relevant adaptation as three of the central pillars in my philosophy of teaching. I design each course with specific academic objectives in mind while planning for various learning preferences and classroom dynamics. To achieve those goals, I utilize (a) specific communication strategies to engage and respond to students, (b) big questions to reinforce the material and challenge stereotypes, and (c) relevant examples from the world outside the classroom. In the paragraphs that follow, I explain these elements and discuss how they contribute to my teaching philosophy.
I create a space for dialogue in my instruction by how I interact with my audience. For example, as we transition to new content, I often ask students at the beginning of class or my teaching assistants as we begin our meetings, “What questions do you have for me?” Using this language (versus “Do you have any questions?”) signals my openness and willingness to engage in conversation. After asking, I silently count to ten to demonstrate that their questions are important and to give students a moment to think. If I asked for questions and then rushed on to the next point or activity, I may send the message that their questions are not valued, or I do not have time to respond. In addition, how I reply to each person is important. As I address the issue, idea, or inquiry, I often reference the individual by name in my response, but I apply my comments to the group. In doing so, I acknowledge the thoughtfulness of the individual while creating a sense of shared ownership by addressing the whole class. How I engage others is an important element in creating a space for dialogue, learning, and empathetic instruction.
I prepare big questions that structure my courses and encourage thoughtfulness about the material in new ways. Big questions are “conversation starters that matter to everyone and are exploratory in nature” (Abendschein et al., 2018). In my family communication course, for example, I began the first day of class by asking students to define family in one word. Their terms reveal a definition that is broad, diverse, and complicated. I also introduce more focused questions that guide each class. As I discuss a new concept, introduce a new article, or unpack a communication theory, I tie the content to the question guiding the day’s discussion and the overarching themes within the course. I use this technique to frame the material while challenging students’ preconceived notions of everyday constructs. This translates to the graduate students and instructors I mentor as well. We often discuss big questions about learning outcomes, course management, and student engagement that shape our approach to instruction.
I connect and reinforce content with examples from outside the classroom. This is important when teaching as well as mentoring new instructors. To be effective, however, those linkages must be relevant to the audience. To increase the relevance of my illustrations and the likelihood that individuals will make connections between the material and other areas of interest, I work to connect with students and instructors. I find that exemplifying effortful connection contributes to meaningful engagement. In fact, when people successfully locate a concept or phenomena at work in other situations that they find familiar, they are often able to translate those experiences across contexts.
Overall, I strive to be an active learner. I engage and explore pedagogy by mentoring other instructors, attending teaching seminars, and working collaboratively with colleagues. My philosophy of teaching is centered on development, so I seek out opportunities to grow as a leader while learning how to best foster growth in my students. To achieve those goals, I strive to facilitate dialogue, to challenge stereotypes, and to communicate relevance in each of my courses.
I create a space for dialogue in my instruction by how I interact with my audience. For example, as we transition to new content, I often ask students at the beginning of class or my teaching assistants as we begin our meetings, “What questions do you have for me?” Using this language (versus “Do you have any questions?”) signals my openness and willingness to engage in conversation. After asking, I silently count to ten to demonstrate that their questions are important and to give students a moment to think. If I asked for questions and then rushed on to the next point or activity, I may send the message that their questions are not valued, or I do not have time to respond. In addition, how I reply to each person is important. As I address the issue, idea, or inquiry, I often reference the individual by name in my response, but I apply my comments to the group. In doing so, I acknowledge the thoughtfulness of the individual while creating a sense of shared ownership by addressing the whole class. How I engage others is an important element in creating a space for dialogue, learning, and empathetic instruction.
I prepare big questions that structure my courses and encourage thoughtfulness about the material in new ways. Big questions are “conversation starters that matter to everyone and are exploratory in nature” (Abendschein et al., 2018). In my family communication course, for example, I began the first day of class by asking students to define family in one word. Their terms reveal a definition that is broad, diverse, and complicated. I also introduce more focused questions that guide each class. As I discuss a new concept, introduce a new article, or unpack a communication theory, I tie the content to the question guiding the day’s discussion and the overarching themes within the course. I use this technique to frame the material while challenging students’ preconceived notions of everyday constructs. This translates to the graduate students and instructors I mentor as well. We often discuss big questions about learning outcomes, course management, and student engagement that shape our approach to instruction.
I connect and reinforce content with examples from outside the classroom. This is important when teaching as well as mentoring new instructors. To be effective, however, those linkages must be relevant to the audience. To increase the relevance of my illustrations and the likelihood that individuals will make connections between the material and other areas of interest, I work to connect with students and instructors. I find that exemplifying effortful connection contributes to meaningful engagement. In fact, when people successfully locate a concept or phenomena at work in other situations that they find familiar, they are often able to translate those experiences across contexts.
Overall, I strive to be an active learner. I engage and explore pedagogy by mentoring other instructors, attending teaching seminars, and working collaboratively with colleagues. My philosophy of teaching is centered on development, so I seek out opportunities to grow as a leader while learning how to best foster growth in my students. To achieve those goals, I strive to facilitate dialogue, to challenge stereotypes, and to communicate relevance in each of my courses.