The job of a teacher is not only to get education
across to students, but also to teach in such a manner so that students can
retain the information long after the semester is over. In order to do so, a
class needs to be both informative and thought-provocative. This can be a
challenge for many instructors, especially when the class gets larger in size.
In my classes, I try to tailor the instruction in such a way so that students
can find the course materials stimulating and informative, which I believe makes
it easier for them to apply what they learned to the outside world. I teach
both large and small classes, and so, I tailor my instruction method based on
the class size to reach my teaching goals.
I have taught classes of different sizes – ranging from
15 to 120 students – at the University of Kentucky, University of Wisconsin –
Green Bay and Elon University. No matter how big the class is, I try to teach
it in such as way so that students can link the materials that they learn in
class with the outside world. For example, in every other class, I usually play
a video clip that deals with some relevant issue pertaining to the real world.
Afterwards, I ask the students to explain the clip using the material that they
learned in class. At the end of every class, there is an in-class assignment
where students work in groups to come up with an answer. I also try to
incorporate whatever is in current news into everyday teaching. For example,
during the Presidential elections of 2012, we discussed in class why measuring
unemployment rates were such a contentious issue. I believe that relating
materials from the course to the real world can help students better understand
and appreciate economics, and this can provide them some incentives not only to
retain the information that they learned in class, but also to take upper-level
economics classes in the future. I also try to present relevant materials in
class that are thought-provocative. When covering the topic of poverty in inner
cities in urban economics, I asked students whether programs like Head Start
and minimum wages can help to alleviate poverty. This way, students can see how
they can apply their knowledge to explain the world around them.
Besides in class teaching, I try to engage in
certain out-of-class activities that ensure that students are able to grasp the
course material better. Some students want to learn more about other economic
issues that we did not specifically cover in class, and I generally try to meet
up with them to explain those issues. I also provide students with a lot of
practice questions 2-3 weeks before the exam to give them ample time to go over
them so that they can ask questions if they did not understand a specific
topic. Nowadays, students are more inclined to email their questions rather
than visit during office hours, and I try to reply to their emails in the
shortest possible time.
Overall, my teaching methods have been appreciated
by students. Thus far, I have received very good reviews and comments from
students, and they appreciate my method of relating materials learned in class
to current events taking place outside of class. Most of them also commented
that the classes I teach are interesting and informative. However, this does
not mean in any way that I have mastered the art of teaching. Teaching is
definitely a learning process, and there is always room for improvement.
Student feedback from evaluations provide some guidance for improvements, and I
have incorporated some of those feedback in the subsequent classes that I have
taught. In order to further build my teaching capabilities, I have attended
workshops on improving teaching practices and how to effectively design a
syllabus. I plan to continue my education in pedagogy. By being a perpetual
student in the field of teaching pedagogy, I hope to further improve my art of
teaching for the benefit of students. |