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MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

 

Updated April 2021

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Teaching is a role, not just a “job.” To paraphrase an early mentor of mine, the teacher “is the decisive agent in the classroom.” Indeed, it is through their adopted approaches to curriculum delivery and classroom management, teachers choose whether students feel encouraged to engage with the subject. 

                                               

This is why I believe that the role of the teacher is to guide students in their learning: to lead, not to push. This is especially true for students at the graduate level. So, I design many of my courses' assignments so that students may pursue their own related interests and specialize in areas important to their specific career goals. 

 

I also believe that good educators remain students. They remain familiar with current and emerging practices of assessment and evaluation and try new methods and new approaches in the classroom. Teachers have an ethical obligation to reflect on practice and develop new skills by taking advantage of the professional development opportunities available to them. And since teaching informs research (and, just as importantly, research informs teaching), I believe an active research agenda is crucial for educators working at institutions of higher learning. They give teachers the chance to integrate new content into course lessons and mentor students completing their own research projects.

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Visit my current USM Faculty page or download a brief CV.

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