Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is three fold: Firstly, variety is the spice of learning. I like to present material in a wide variety of ways, lecture, video, hands on projects, discussion groups, field trips and so on. I believe that group projects are important and can lead to problem solving, compatibility and compromise, after all, no one works in a vacuum in the workplace and we must all know how to interact with others in our field. Certainly, integrating technology into the curriculum is important and will certainly motivate the students. We should not be afraid to try something new or to use the students themselves as a resource towards utilizing new technology. We must remember that technology alone is limited without the ability to understand and use it. We must make the links to existing knowledge. Secondly, be there for the students. I do not believe in relying solely on teaching assistants to answer questions from students. I do not allow students to flounder through a course but rather encourage them to visit me with any concerns, problems or misunderstanding before they become insurmountable. Just as we do not work in a vacuum so we should not learn in a vacuum. Thirdly, listen to the students. I am always amazed at the high level of competence of most students if they are allowed to feel free to express themselves and know that there are no stupid questions. No question is stupid if one does not know the answer, and what are we (the teachers) for but to educate and answer and expand minds, mine included. I learn something new from every new group of students I have the privilege of working with. Talk WITH them, not AT them.