Approach to Teaching

My Approach to Teaching

Learning can be liberating. It has the potential to open up whole new visions, new ways of thinking about the world, new ways of defining what is real, and new ways of thinking about one's own self. The mission statement of Mount Ida College speaks of "empowering all students to achieve academically and contribute responsibly in a changing world." Empowering students means enabling them to think independently, to question the beliefs of their society or peer groups, and, of course, to question the positions of the teacher.

With this in mind, I encourage students to think critically, to explore answers to questions, and to come up with their own conclusions. At the same time, this process is happening in a specific context – the context of learning sociology with a particular group of people. For this reason there need to be course requirements, the acceptance (at least temporarily) of certain basic concepts related to the course material, and expectations that students will meet deadlines, arrive for class on time, and interact with their teacher and fellow students with an attitude of mutual respect.

I make demands on students in terms of frequent written assignments, readings, attendance, and class participation. Students have the right to make demands on me as well: To show them respect, to listen to their points of view, to be fair in grading practices, to be available outside the classroom, to provide extra help when needed, to maintain a classroom environment that is conducive to learning, and to be receptive if they let me know (politely, I hope!) when I fail to meet any of these expectations.