COURSES TAUGHT
Introduction to Sociology Research Methods
Introduction to Statistics Sociology of the Family
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My educational path has been paved by many persons who have taken an interest in, invested time and ceaselessly supported my intellectual growth. Throughout elementary and high school, several teachers encouraged me to develop my skills and talents and promoted the importance of education. This foundation has remained with me throughout my undergraduate and graduate education. At Denison University, I discovered my love of learning and my eclectic array of interests, which include classical music, writing and foreign languages. As a graduate student at Florida State University, I found myself drawn to sociological theory, quantitative analysis, and international issues such as immigration, citizenship and political economy. I believe the ability to realize my interests and develop my skills would not have been possible without the encouragement of numerous teachers, professors and administrators throughout all of my years as a student. They taught me that education can transform the way we think about and view the world around us. Furthermore, by example, they have shown me education’s capacity to enliven curiosity as a life-long pursuit. Because of those who have given of themselves to me along this path, I approach the student-teacher relationship similarly and contribute to the cycle of learning by giving to my students what has been given to me: encouragement, support and, above all, patience.
As I step in front of a new class each semester, I look out and see a group of students coming from different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. I understand all students do not approach a course in the same manner. As a teacher, I view my position as being one to aid each student in opening the door to his or her own intellectual curiosity just a little more than when they came to my class. One of the ways in which I do this is through maintaining an open door policy, where students are always welcome to come and ask questions and/or discuss whatever is on their minds. During these discussions, I provide students with more information specific to their area of interest and/or breakdown concepts further to assist students with complex concepts, aiming to provide examples that align with the student’s distinct “learning niche.” Several students come with questions; however, on occasion, I will approach students who I sense might not feel comfortable asking for help. I ask the student how he or she is doing and if I might answer any questions. I also believe students need verbal encouragement. Many times students smile or sigh with relief and say how important my encouraging words mean to them.
My students would most likely categorize me as demanding but fair. I am challenging, but I believe that some of the best learning is done when a student begins to feel out of his or her “comfort zone.” This does not mean that I aim to always place students in this position. In fact, when constructing classes I take into consideration that students have their own unique ways of learning. Consequently, my courses are designed so students contribute to and are graded on a variety of assignments. I create courses that emphasize students’ multiple talents by assigning oral presentations to research papers to in-class discussion that are student-led. While focusing on one’s strengths typically results in a positive experience, I do not believe that students can and should learn solely via his or her preferred method of learning but can gain new perspectives by developing other learning techniques. To me, this is how we expand our knowledge base, grow intellectually, and learn more about the world and ourselves.
Given my background as an English writing major at Denison, I strongly believe in the ability to write clearly, speak concisely and discuss openly. I encourage all three in my courses. After receiving several disorganized and poorly constructed papers one semester, I realized that students did not know how to go about constructing a well-organized, well-thought out paper. The following semester, I redesigned my Sociology of the Family course so that students would submit 3-pages per month of their final paper. On each draft I gave them detailed feedback. The result was a stack of thought provoking papers of which students were proud. Several students stated they just did not know how or where to go to develop their writing skills or how to best express themselves. I learned that using my writing skills to aid students’ development not only helped them in my course but beyond, as well.
Just as I ask my students to give the best of him or herself, I, too, continuously refine my approach to teaching, both during and after the conclusion of each semester. I actively listen and assess students’ concerns. If I find an exam question was not clearly written, I will throw it out. If at the conclusion of class I feel students may not have fully comprehended that day’s discussion, I make it a point to revisit the concepts/topics in the next class and provide new ways of approaching the topic. I find that for both teacher and student, patience is a key component of the learning process. The ability to develop new ways to explain complex concepts is an area I constantly aim to develop and expand. Furthermore, I continually evaluate the feedback I provide students and review examination construction and other graded assignments to ensure they clearly convey and cultivate the important building blocks of a given course.
One of the ways I evaluate my effectiveness as a teacher is when a student expresses that my guidance or the course has helped him or her learn or discover more about a topic that the student truly loves. Also, observing a student develop his or her knowledge on a specific topic over the course of the semester and clearly communicate that to the class in an oral presentation or a research paper exhibits student growth. Additionally, I challenge my students to think critically, especially on issues they may not have considered before. Past students have noted that my courses have helped them to view a variety of social issues from a different viewpoint. I find this extremely rewarding; however, I realize that students will not necessarily comprehend all topics discussed in my courses possibly for several years to come. Rather, I view my role as a sociology instructor as being one that contributes to just a portion of my students’ overall understanding and to provide my students with the how and why of a given topic in the hope that he or she might pursue learning as a life-long process. Therefore, I aim to provide my students with the tools that will carry them far beyond my course.
My teaching philosophy is intimately tied to my personal philosophy, my own educational experiences and the desire to give back to my students what has been given to me. In this way, I believe the cycle of learning continues from one generation of students to the next.