SCF Lecture

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching in today's society means more than getting up in front of a class and lecturing on material; it is about making sure that students actually learn the material. To understand this, one must  understand the difference between learning and memorization. The later implies that one can call up facts; whereas, the former implies that one must not only know the facts but also how to make use of them in problem solving and in new situations. For example, a student may know that a certain formula is needed for a given situation and can simply plug in the numbers and get the correct answer, but that student may not know why that formula works and how to change it for slightly different cases.  Many students, and a few teachers, confuse rote memorization with learning. In this section I look at a few points which have made teachers I have had successful and which I try to follow.

• Consideration for Different Learning Styles
  
  We are all unique individuals, and as a consequence, it is unrealistic to expect that any  two people learn the same material in the exact same fashion. It is also unrealsitic for teachers to expect that the way they organize/present the material is the best way for all of their students. Good teachers understand this fact and take it into account by presenting the material in more than one way.  For example, some people are audio learners and get more by hearing the ideas spoken aloud, while others are visual learners and prefer to see things written down. Therefore, a good teacher will incorporate both audio and visual presentations into their classes. Another common difference is that some people prefer to get the individual details and build up the big picture logically, while others need the big picture first to help them place new facts. Therefore, teachers should try to incorporate both approaches, or they should try one way and then present the material the opposite way to those who have trouble. The important point is to be flexible and do one's best to taylor descriptions to meet the needs of the students. Never assume a student is stupid because they don't understand when it is presented your way.  Be willing to help students outside of class, and if they are truly trying, don't give up on them. Finally,  in many cases people need to be able to see concrete examples of how the material is used in their area of interest and will, thus, be of use to them. Therefore, teachers should poll their class and, if possible, provide homework and examples from their areas of interest.
  
  
• Clearly Stated Expectations (Testing/Grading)
  
  Testing is important to assess how well students understand the material and, as such, is an important part of teaching. It also plays a large role in grades, and, whether we like it or not, grades are one indicator that companies, scholarship organizations, and graduate schools look at when hiring/awarding. Therefore, it is important that a teacher make clear exactly how students will be graded and what is expected from them on homework and tests. The first step in the right direction is  the standard course syllabus which breaks down the portions that make up the final grade; however, I believe more is needed.  A clear list or discussion of the types of problems students may face and clear examples of expected work for each problem should be covered in class.  Work out  examples in class with the detail you expect to see on tests or at the very least point out what you would expect to see differently.  In short, make it crystal clear what you think is important and grade accordingly. As an aside, I  personally believe that while tests should compose a large part of the class grade, no single test should be worth more the 25-30% of the total class grade and that homework should be worth at least 20%. This rewards students for taking the time to do the homework and prevents one test from making a student fail. We all have bad days, so why should we expect different of our students. I have been in a class where the final counted for 90% of the whole grade and the pressure building up for that one day was enormous. I want to teach my students, not break them.  I also feel homework deserves such a sizeable portion because it reflects the student's work and effort over the course of the whole term and not just on one day.
  
  
• High Availability
  
  Not everything can be handled within the class period, and therefore, it is the teacher's job to be available to handle problems outside of class. One student may not get a concept, and rather than loose the time for the whole class, the teacher should work with that student during office hours. Moreover, helping students with problems outside of class is perhaps the best feedback for how well things are going in class. I am not suggesting that the teacher always be available; teaching often involves other duties such as committee work, but teachers should have reasonable office hours and stick to them. Nothing is more annoying than a teacher who is never around during their specified office hours.
  
  
• Willingness to Grade Work and Accept Feedback
  
  Homework is an important teaching tool and grading it, or at least portions of it, serves as a diagnostic into how well students understand the material. Moreover, grading  homework  forces the students into doing it and gaining the benefits it can provide - see below. A teacher who doesn't look at the homework looses one means of understanding their students and their difficulties.
  
  Speaking of understanding your students, it is important to accept and welcome feedback from your students. Listen to them and make changes where appropriate. A good way to accomplish this is through the use of  anonymous feedback forms which the teacher hands out after every chapter or other key points during the term. Waiting until the end of the quarter teacher evaluation to find out how you did may benefit the next class, but it does nothing to help this one.
  

• Attendance and Note Taking
  
  At the college level it is the student's job to attend class and take notes. If  the student cannot attend, then it is his/her job to make up the missed material, get notes from a fellow student, and make an attempt to understand the material on their own. This does not mean that they cannot ask the teacher for help on that material; it just means that they should look at the notes and at least try the material before running to the teacher for help. If the student will miss a test or quiz then it is his/her job to make arrangements with the teacher before hand or posses a good reason for the sudden absence. A student should not be afraid to talk to the teacher if a problem arises.
  
  In addition to simply attending class, I am a firm believer in note taking and feel it is the student's job to pay attention and take notes. After all, if the student is not listening to the teacher,  then the best presentation in the world will teach nothing. Moreover, if the student does not take notes, then there is no record from which the student can refresh their memory and look up a technique taught. Notes can also serve as a diagnostic tool for the teacher. If  a student is doing poorly, never seems to remember what was done in class, or always gets a concept wrong, then the teacher can look at the students notes and see what they are taking away from the class.  Perhaps the student takes poor notes or wrote something down slightly wrong.  For the benefit of the student and teacher, a  good set of notes should not include just what the teacher said and wrote, but should also include the student's interpretations.
  
  
• Homework
  
  While it is the teacher's job to assign homework problems to provide practice for skills taught in class and to lookover/grade that work to determine where students are having difficulty, it  is the student's job to actually attempt/do the assigned problems. Much like lifting weights increases one's strength, doing problems increases memory retention of the techniques and builds internal relationships which hopefully make doing any future problems easier.  In the event that a student cannot figure out a problem, it is important that he/she have some work or even an initial guess at how to approach the problem. This gives a teacher, tutor , or fellow student something to examine and discuss.  By seeing what you did or think you should do, a teacher can figure out what difficulties you are having and how to correct them.  Finally, its important to look on doing homework as a benefit to you and  be concerned with knowing how to do the problem, not just how to get the correct answer and get a good grade. Moreover, keep in mind that good teachers do not give homework to be malicious or punish students, but to help them.
  
  
• Seeking Help and Giving Feedback
  
  If you are having trouble with material presented in class or the homework and cannot get help from a friend or fellow student, then talk to the teacher. Teachers hold office hours during which they are expected to be free to answer student's questions. Take advantage of this time.  If you don't, then it's your loss, and you shouldn't complain. If you cannot make the office hours, then let the teacher know and make arrangements to visit him/her at a more convenient time.
  
  Asking teachers questions provides a kind of feedback as to what concepts students are having trouble with. Finally, take the time to fill in any and all anonymous feedback forms, whether they are the standard forms most schools use at the end of a term or the occasional forms used by your teachers during the term. Teachers are not psychic; they need to be told when you are having problems.