My first thought was to try and have ChatGPT write this for me, but it soon became obvious that it was doing a better job than I ever could, and people would see right through it. So, I had to resort to doing this on my own…
If I had to summarize my teaching philosophy in one sentence, it would be a variation on the Golden Rule.
Teach and treat my students as I would like to be taught and treated.
I have been fortunate to have been taught by many great teachers as a student, to have co-taught with several outstanding teachers, and to live with the best teacher I have ever met, my wife. Based on those experiences, there are certain characteristics I feel are essential to being a successful teacher. These characteristics include (in no order):
Respectful, Empathetic, Knowledgeable, Humorous, Passionate, Motivational, Organized, Prepared, Creative, Challenging, Kind, Curious, Lifelong Learner
The ideal teacher would be strong in all of these dimensions, and I realize I am far from ideal. I would love to say that I am extremely creative or motivational in the classroom, but I have seen teachers who truly exhibit such traits, and I realize such traits are not my strongest suit.
If I had to select my strongest traits from this list (self-perceived), I would have to go with Respectful, Empathetic, Humorous, Prepared, Lifelong Learner, and Kind. I believe if I can succeed in these traits, they form a strong foundation for the remaining ones. As the saying goes, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
I try to develop a classroom environment where every student feels welcomed and respected, not just by me, but by the other students as well.
I also try to expose students to issues that may have little direct bearing on the course content, but issues that I believe are critical for the long-term success and happiness of the student. I build into my class, as best I can, a few TED (and similar) videos each semester. These videos have looked at such issues as the link between creativity and education, the importance of “making good art”, the impact of body language on success, the puzzle of motivation, and the science of happiness. I tell the students that while the videos may have little to do with what we are studying in the course, they may contain the most valuable lessons they will learn all year.
I believe strongly in the notion of pursuing your passion, and I feel that one of my roles as a teacher is to help students discover and pursue their passions. That passion may be a career on Wall Street or with a Big 4 firm, writing a novel, raising a family, or finishing a marathon. To help my Business Dynamics students with this process, I have them create and present a vision board which is a visual collage of their life goals in the areas of academic, career, personal, spiritual, and social. I then have each student present their vision board to the class. It is a great way for all of us to get to know each other and to have students become more mindful of their future.
In summary, I try to take a holistic view of the teaching and learning process. I am hopeful that my teaching contributes to a student’s success not only in the classroom but in life as well.
*image from Eastex Credit Union
Borden's Blather 