MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

As the instructor of record for a general education course, I have the privilege of interacting with students from every discipline. Every time I step into a classroom, it is my job to provide my students with the tools and opportunities necessary to take their education into their own hands. It is my mission to make course content applicable to each student’s major and help them understand how nurturing their communication skills can benefit them in their chosen career. To do this, I make it a priority to meet each student at their current skill level

I have taught the communication discipline’s basic course throughout my graduate experience—a course that usually entails a healthy dose of public speaking. For many people, this is their worst fear. It is always at the forefront of my mind that the associations my students form with public speaking will follow them throughout their professional pursuits, so it is my job to ensure that these are positive ones. Success is when my students tell me the final speech of the semester was easier than the first one.

I begin each class by asking my students an attendance question (e.g., “If you could learn any skill instantly, what would it be and why?”). It sounds innocuous—like a fun way to get to know one another—but it receives high praise from students in my teaching evaluations. They appreciated that I was the first instructor to ask for their opinion on a topic, and that stuck with them more than any lecture ever could. As a bonus, attendance questions build classroom community, teach impromptu speaking skills, and systematically desensitize students to speaking in front of their peers.

I primarily incorporate a student-centered teaching method in the classroom. I prioritize learning each student’s name by the third week of class; I encourage them to share their thoughts and opinions regularly. Each of the activities that I build into my lessons aims to make public speaking less intimidating. Having a positive affective experience is essential to knowledge retention. I also use elements of small group teaching methods (e.g., brainstorming, small group discussions, mediated feedback sessions) and game-play teaching methods (e.g., Kahoot trivia games, group decision-making, and group problem-solving activities) to increase student participation. I find these methods hold students’ attention, increase in-person attendance, and reinforce the information presented in lectures.

To quote Maya Angelou, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” As I grow more experienced as an educator, I realize that what my students want most is someone invested in their success. When my students come into my classroom, they are more than a number to me. I know their names, their hometowns, what brings them joy, and their hopes and dreams following college. My students are going to change the world. I believe each of them has something important to say; it is my privilege to show them how to nurture and use their voice.