Teaching Philosophy

 
The instructor's knowledge in a given area is necessary but not sufficient for effective teaching; students must be actively motivated to learn new material. This often entails moving beyond lecturing at students for the duration of the course and focuses on involving students in the learning process. Whenever possible, demonstrations of psychological phenomena should include the students themselves--learning through participation. Student participation is particularly important within the realm of research, and every effort should be made to provide simple, intuitive experiments from which students can learn the fundamentals of sound research.  As learning progresses beyond this foundation, students themselves should be encouraged to design and implement studies in a supportive atmosphere. One of the most important components of encouragement is evaluation throughout the research process; therefore, the instructor should be available and willing to offer constructive criticism and praise. Under no circumstances should the student be discouraged from his or her endeavors.

Within the classroom, lectures should be presented in an enthusiastic manner, with an enduring understanding that the information is new to the students if not to the instructor. By the same token, lectures should be updated consistently with current research findings in any given area.  Lectures should be highly organized; students cannot be expected to grasp the instructor's view of the material unless this organization is directly apparent. An additional aid in the classroom is rapport. It has been my experience that a relaxed atmosphere of human understanding does not detract from the learning experience but rather enhances it. Students who feel free to ask questions, comment, and even disagree with a concept will leave the class with a deeper understanding of the material. The objective is to teach as much new and relevant information as possible, and instructors should strive to enhance the process as well as the product of learning to provide a positive educational experience.

In all classes, outside assignments enhance learning. For some classes, such as psychological statistics, homework provides students with necessary practice in order to understand procedures and theories. In an introductory psychology class, students can be asked to complete simple assignments designed to build interest in the discipline such as counting the number of times they see sexual content in commercials or trying to interpret a friend's behavior. In physiological psychology, thought-provoking questions can be considered over night and discussed during the next class meeting (e.g., Why do we not have very large heads?...discussed in the context of evolutionary theory). In a class on research methods, students can conduct their own simple experiments individually or in groups and even write their procedures and results in APA style, all of which provide solid examples of the material in their text. Most students will not simply read a textbook each evening, but they will complete tasks they consider useful and fun.

Both in and out of the classroom, student management is crucial to successful teaching.  Expectations of student performance and accomplishments should be clear at all times.  Consequences of failure to perform well and accomplish necessary tasks also must be clearly defined. These consequences should remain consistent across all students within a class. In order for management policies to be upheld, decisions about consequences cannot be made on a case-by-case basis. This type of preferential treatment encourages students to fabricate reasons for failing to perform adequately. It also places the professor in the role of confidant for personal issues the student may not wish to share; thus, students’ privacy is compromised. Within all matters of student management, consistency and respect should be of primary concern.

Finally, it is my responsibility to continue to learn about teaching and maintain a positive attitude toward my students. Attending conferences and workshops dedicated to enhancing instruction is critical to my development as a professor. These experiences provide new teaching procedures and fresh insights into the needs of my students. In addition, it is my responsibility to present teaching material or techniques to my colleagues to enhance their ability to mature in their careers or view some aspect of teaching from a new perspective. With colleagues and personally, it is my responsibility to avoid making global attributions of poor student abilities or motivation.  Indeed, it is my role as a teacher to foster these qualities.