Philosophy

My teaching philosophy represents a set of ideas, beliefs, and values concerning the nature of learning, the
purpose of higher education, and the role of the teacher within such a system. Moreover, it is a guiding framework
which brings clarity to four key questions pertaining to (1) my objectives as a teacher, (2) the method I will use to
achieve such goals, (3) how I will measure student learning, and perhaps most importantly, (4) my purpose for
participating in such an important endeavor.

Objectives-

My teaching objectives are to facilitate two distinct but also complementary types of learning with my students.
First, my students should achieve conceptual mastery of the course content as outlined in the syllabus. Doing so
will assist the student in building the functional knowledge to be considered educated in their field, so that upon
graduation they can be competitive while seeking a job in their chosen profession. Second, and regardless of
course content, my students should cultivate their critical thinking skills, pursue the development of life-long
learning interests and capabilities, improve their ability to challenge their own assumptions and communicate
conceptually to other learners, enhance their ability to synthesis across conceptual areas, and develop
problem-solving strategies to assist them in deepening their own insight into life's most interesting and challenging
questions.

Pursuing the second type of learning is too often neglected in business and professional schools today, perhaps
because they are so often seen as representing polar opposites in regard to purpose, intent, and outcome.
James V. Schall in his book, "Another Sort of Learning" references a passage in Mad Magazine which represents
the fact that real education and formal education may indeed represent opposite ends of the spectrum in today's
pedagogical world:

Did you ever stop to wonder about how recent historical events will be reported in elementary school history
books 100 years from now? We hate to think so, but in the year 2060, say, elementary school history books
will probably be exactly the way they are now. Which means they will be simply written so that children who
study them can find easy answers to everything, even things that college professors and historians won't fully
understand. For instance, every historical figure will be either good or bad, with nobody a little good and a little
bad, the way most people really are. (p. 7)

As a teacher it is my duty to help my students master the concepts and learn the facts that reside external to them
in a system of formal education. However, I will do so while challenging my students to develop their own authentic
interpretation of the material, in assessments of its strengths and weaknesses, and in recommendations for
developing innovative alternatives to existing explanations.

Methods-

My teaching methods should represent strategies and practices that will assist me in achieving my teaching
objectives. Because I want to facilitate more than just formal learning in my classroom, I believe in incorporating
two distinct but complimentary learning methods in the classroom when they are applicable: active and student
centered. Active learning, unlike passive learning, directly engages a student in their own learning process.
Whereas passive learning consists largely of lecture style formats in which the teacher disseminates knowledge to
a student in the form of one-way communication, active learning requires the student to become actively involved
with the subject matter in what is considered a more experiential learning process.

Closely related to active learning is student centered learning which is practiced when topics are considered
pertinent to the lives, desires, and wellbeing of the student. Moreover, rather than just memorizing uniformed
information, active learners develop their own authentic understanding of course concepts and then
compare/contrast such interpretations with their fellow students. Arising from such interactions is likely to be
different and conceivably conflicting views of pertinent subject matter, of which such differences are leveraged as
learning opportunities. Fundamentally, active learning is a process in which "learners are treated as co-creators in
the learning process, as individuals with ideas and issues that deserve attention and consideration" (McCombs
and Whistler 1997).

Measurement-

My experiences as a student play a formative role in determining the type of teacher I hope to be. Accordingly, the
teachers that I admired most were ones that did not use grades as a reward or punishment mechanism, but as an
instrument to provide honest feedback regarding the quality of submitted work and to illuminate areas that should
be revisited to develop deeper understandings of pertinent material. Moreover, when appropriate, my best
teachers sought first to understand my answers or explanations, rather than simply judging them based on whether
they were right or wrong. Thus, my best teachers were less concerned with the right answers and more concerned
with good ones. As a teacher, I want to be guided by a similar philosophy.

Purpose-

There are many reasons I decided to return to school and pursue a PhD, but one certainly stands out from the
rest. I wanted to spend my career learning and teaching, two activities that I consider to be one and the same. I do
not want to learn simply so I can impart my findings onto my students; I want to learn so I can encourage my
students to join me in such a process. My purpose as a teacher is to help my students get interested in the world
that surrounds them, to support them as they grapple with life's most difficult questions, and to assist them in
developing an inquisitive mind that will guide them beyond the boundaries of their formal education.