Sam Watson

11/19/15
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is about maintaining perspective. About not losing the
forest for the trees. As a relative newcomer to the world of instruction I was liable to
treat every teaching concept as a revelation. Each new strategy or methodology
demanded to be incorporated into my lesson plans. The pressure to provide the best
instruction loomed large with so many elements that required proper implementation
and perfect execution. Maintaining so many spinning plates inevitably led to my
teaching anxiety and public speaking jitters. It wasnt until a library instructor asserted,
dont worry about you, worry about them, that it clicked. Teaching isnt about how you
present the material, its about making sure the students understand. The perfect script
or lesson plan cannot realistically speak to every student. My approach to teaching has
evolved into cultivating lesson plans that afford the students a stake in their own
education. I do this by offering welcoming environments, encouraging participation, and
providing numerous access points for learning.
I remember the instructors that influenced me through the years and the
ubiquitous trait they all shared was enthusiasm. A genuine passion for the material or
obvious joy in getting to teach it. I carry that enthusiasm with me to every instruction
session for a number of reasons. First and foremost, is that enthusiasm is infectious. I
cannot expect students to care about the subject at hand if I project a blas attitude
towards it. The second purpose for imbuing a classroom with enthusiasm is to
encourage participation. My approach to establishing a baseline enthusiasm in the
classroom is through humor, usually dry, always self-effacing. Hi Im Sam, a grad
student at the library science school, where my educational focus is on proper shushing
techniques. If students feel comfortable and supported, they are more likely to engage,
ask/answer questions, and ultimately help steer the class to match their individual
learning styles.
Participation is also a two-way street for students and instructors as I learned
firsthand. A library instruction session had me responsible for teaching database search
strategies to a Portuguese history class. During their designated search time, I started
individually asking students how their search results fared. It was only then that I
discovered I had neglected to clarify the location of the databases during the lecture
portion. All my perfected search strategies meant little if none of the students knew
where to start. My participation in how the students approached my lesson plan
provided me immediate feedback. This short burst of outcome assessment also
allowed me to make changes on the fly. The students were able to shape how the class
was formed.

Finally, I have come to see the benefits of the cognitive learning process to give
students the opportunity to approach learning on their own terms. No amount of me
blathering on about databases can supplant students putting theory to practice by
searching for themselves. All my lesson plans now include group activities and in-class
work time for students to experiment on their own. Coupling these activities with a
supportive classroom and open dialogue between instructor and students will keep the
focus where I most want it to be; on the students.