Teaching Philosophy, Sujay Sood, Ph.D., sujaysood@gmail.

com
Let me say it straight outteaching is an art, not a philosophy. There is much theory but with practice comes the realization that a great educator has to rely on instinct and intangibles to reach out to each student according to her needs and learning profile. Let me also add that teaching is a passion, not a vocation. The joy of enlightening a young mind or opening it up to inquiry is the greatest recompense of allthe type that makes the concept of working hours irrelevant. Like any other art, the art of teaching needs its artistthe teacherto be passionate, knowledgeable, and ever seeking to explore and improve his craft. Ive taught all levels of college and high school, and every successful teaching moment has relied on my enthusiasm for my subject matter as much for my students growth. I love literature and the arts, philosophy and psychology, film and media, technology, and take every opportunity to present my students the vast interlinking between these domains. As befits any T.A. on his way to attaining a Ph.D., my first classroom teaching experience was Freshman composition. The core text was Fritjof Capras The Turning Point, a correlation of quantum physics and Eastern philosophy. Twentieth-century poetry and literature linked to the seminal ideas in amazing ways that even I couldnt anticipate. The history and culture of humanity was brought into relief in our discussions. Since then, this kind of cross-linking has been the mainstay of all my teaching, be it composition, cultural studies, literary & film seminars in college, or high school English Language Arts. The best way to stimulate the students desire to learn is by exposing them to the interconnectedness in the world of ideas across the disciplines. Ideas in the novel and in the poem connect with and are enriched by an appreciation of history, psychology, philosophy and art; additionally, issues raised in literature are revitalized when brought to bear on current events and concerns. In this regard, exposing students to non-Western literatures and thinking is essential to their formation. We speak today of living in a global village, and international events penetrate the fabric of our day-today lives as never before. I have found that introducing students to the literature, culture, and (often revisionist) history of non-Western or post-colonial people gives them a sense of situatedness for why the world is where it is today. In their specific contexts, the literatures of Asia and Africa provide a fascinating insight into alternate cultural modes of expression and being; in a comparative context, they are invaluable in enriching the role of an enlightened denizen of the 21st-century.