Teaching Philosophy

The overall goal of my teaching is always to have students learn and improve from whichever level of knowledge they start when they come into my classroom.  This sounds like a general statement, but holds true especially in the technology classroom.

Always during my teaching I incorporate new knowledge gained from research projects. I seek to foster an open, interactive and collaborative learning environment. The critical analysis of technology and its effects, and the active use of technology both on my part and on the students’ part are an integral part of my teaching approach that encourages students to learn for life, and not just for the classroom. 

I consider it my duty as a teacher to give my students the best possible education they can get.  Along those lines, I seek to develop critical thinking skills in the students.  My classroom always combines lecture with exercises.  The lectures are based on book material, but enriched with examples, stories, and even personal experiences.  I believe in the power of the narrative.

Learning should also be a joyful and worthwhile experience for the students.  I try to achieve this, first, by using immediate communication, second, by giving students influence on the class, and third, by connecting class material to real life situations the students can identify with.

Even the most effective teacher cannot reach every student in every class.  Watching many of my students grow in personality, self-confidence, and decisiveness to me is one indicator that I am reaching some of them; that I am teaching, and they are learning; and that I reached my goal by helping them reach their goals.