Below is my statement of teaching philosophy. There are also student written and scored evaluations.
Teaching Philosophy
Having worked in numerous educational environments for over a decade, I have recognized some basic principles persist in most educational situations. These principles guide my instructional strategies and help shape how I manage my classroom. First among these is realizing that the concepts discussed in class are more thoroughly understood when taught within their specific context. In doing so, meaning and relevance become more apparent to the learner. Second is understanding that students have a diverse array of backgrounds, strengths and internal motivations that shape their educational experience. Students are individuals and their educational needs must be met as such. Finally is the recognition that not all students possess the necessary skills to learn the concepts presented in class. While it may seem beyond our calling as faculty at the university level to reinforce basic learning proficiencies, it is our responsibility as educators to employ strategies that account for this inequality. Overall, I feel each one of these principles must be addressed to have a successful classroom.
“Context is everything.” It is a phrase commonly stated from political discussions to online forums. But within the educational setting, this statement holds a large amount of merit. Context allows for greater understanding of the material presented in the classroom by identifying essential factors which shape natural and cultural phenomena. As such, describing and identifying these factors may help explain why HIV rates are higher in certain parts of the world than others or why one forest community looks vastly different than its neighbor. As an educator, it is my job to provide that context so that my students may better understand the class material.
If context is everything for natural phenomena, then it is also everything for the students who are learning in the classroom. Students are the summation of their individual experiences; their successes, failures and the internal voices that are driving them or holding them back. It is important for an educator to address this individuality as much as possible while still maintaining a high level of accountability in the classroom. This could mean anything from finding a new way to describe the function of a GIS tool to meeting regularly with individual students to help them progress through a challenging section of the class. Regardless, the recognition of students’ individual needs is fundamental in having a successful class.
In many instances, we, as educators, assume our students know how to learn and that they are readily able to assimilate the material presented in class. This, however, is not always the case. Care must be given to reinforce active and participatory learning. This could mean taking the time to have an introductory level class write a potential test question, discuss the question’s validity and decide whether it is an appropriate measure of the course’s content. It also might mean using directed questioning with students in a remote sensing or GIS lab to have the student determine the best course of action instead of directly telling them the tool or function to use. Ultimately, such techniques will use time that could be dedicated to course content but the reward is students who are able to learn more independently and have more fully developed critical thinking skills.
While it is not possible to address every educational concern, it is possible to understand your own teaching style and how to be the most effective in the classroom. I have discovered that I am most successful as an educator when addressing subject context, adjusting teaching techniques to account for each student’s unique background and reinforcing fundamental learning skills. My teaching strategies address each of these concerns and have resulted in well-educated students who leave my classroom with a positive outlook on their own education and are able to meet future challenges inside the academic world and beyond.
