Teaching
TEACHING OBJECTIVE
Providing students with philosophical skills for solving real-world problems
My overarching educational goal is to help students enjoy thinking more systematically and questioning the foundations of their beliefs. Learning to read, analyze, interpret, and write philosophical texts helps them navigate practical problems in their work lives, as citizens in a diverse society, and as members of families and communities. My courses create a sense of communal exploration and discovery as students struggle to understand original texts, to grasp the interpretations of their classmates, and to develop their own ideas in response to the authors.
TEACHING TECHNIQUES
Using Universal Design to Make Philosophy Accessible to All Students
The theory of multiple intelligences tells us that many students learn philosophical skills more effectively using visual or aural methods in addition to the more traditional written essays and exams. Drawing on my research in Disability Studies, I use the concept of Universal Design to structure all course requirements to accommodate a variety of learning approaches. Here are two examples:
- I assess students’ learning using oral quizzes as a complement to written exams. This allows students with learning disabilities to demonstrate their competence while other students continue to learn and reflect while listening.
- Many learners of English as a second language are more successful at asking questions in a quiet office than during fast-paced classroom discussions. Allowing all students to earn credit for discussing the text during office hours has the added advantage of accommodating students who may have missed classes due to illness, family caregiving responsibilities or psychiatric disabilities such as depression or anxiety disorders.
I continue to experiment with teaching methods that enhance all students’ potential for learning philosophy, regardless of their disability status or learning style. My goal is to maintain high academic standards while challenging all students to perform beyond their current level of achievement.
Individual Interviews to Assess Needs
At the beginning of the semester I schedule individual interviews with students, in which we strategize how best to handle his or her academic courseload, work schedule, family responsibilities and any other factors affecting academic success. Whenever needed, I refer them to the excellent services provided by our campus Academic Reinforcement Center, Writing Center, Disability Services and Psychological Services. This initial personal contact enables me to learn students’ names within the first two weeks of class and lays the foundation for a relationship of trust and openness that flourishes as the semester progresses. I have found that spending just five minutes with each student one-on-one early in the semester is extremely effective in improving attendance, class participation, and students’ motivation to succeed in the demanding discipline of philosophical thinking.
Self-Identification as Listeners or Talkers
I ask students to identify themselves as primarily Listeners or Talkers, and divide them into small groups of three to five Listeners, or three to five Talkers. This allows the Listeners to contribute more to the group discussion while training the Talkers to listen more carefully to their peers. The small group discussions are essential to developing the students' confidence and competence in reading and analyzing the texts and case studies. After they have worked in these groups, I notice the Listeners becoming more active in participating and the Talkers taking more time to digest the ideas of others before responding.
Active Learning Strategies
I do not give lectures. Instead, I elicit student questions about the texts and ask their classmates to respond so that students teach each other what they have learned from the material. When needed, I provide guiding frameworks and clarify key concepts and distinctions. Class presentations and written assignments are designed to allow students to develop their own topics if they have a particular interest arising from their life experiences.