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My
teaching philosophy has been developed not only from my
experiences as an instructor, but also from my experiences as a
student. As a student, I found that I gravitated toward and
performed better in classes where teachers used a variety of
teaching methods. As an instructor, I have tried to adopt
similar methods with the hope that students will be able to
glean as much as possible from a lesson, regardless of their
learning styles.
My teaching
goal is to not only lecture the course material to the
student, but to also encourage students to solve problems
and to think creatively. My objective is to give students
the tools to apply what they have learned to situations and
problems they will encounter in their careers and in their
lives. To effectively do this, I believe there are certain
principles, responsibilities and duties that must be
outlined and adhered to. They include the following:
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Treatment
of students. I feel it is my duty as an instructor
to challenge and motive my students, while treating them
fairly and with respect. I must learn what I can from my
students, and give them proper attention so they may
successfully accomplish all the goals set for the
course.
- I state my
expectations for each student because I find
that if students are expected to do well and
to participate, they are more likely to do
so. . I expect all
students to put forth an effort to succeed in
each course activity. I expect all students to
participate in class discussion, and to respect
the opinions of others who participate.
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- I search for the
interests of students. While the scope of the
material covered during a course may be more or
less defined, I can adapt my teaching style to
suit the audience of students attending. For
example, in my many years of teaching
introductory soils laboratories, I often had
sections composed of horticulture majors one
semester, and environmental science majors or
forestry majors the following semester. I always
attempted to color my lectures in a way that
would interest the students attending.
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- I attempt to make
the class environment as stimulating as
possible. While class size often limits the
activities a teacher can introduce, I believe
involvement of the student is vital. It is
important to bring the student into the lecture.
I encourage discussion and questions during my
lecture. This not only develops the student’s
skill in offering insight and opinions, it also
gives me an opportunity to evaluate my
effectiveness in relating the course material to
the students.
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- I also try to
incorporate other means of visualizing a
concept. I use demonstrations, models and
analogies whenever possible.
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