|
SO 101
SO 355
Approach
to Teaching
Value-Committed Sociology
Biography
Publications
Curriculum Vitae
Contact Madeleine
Cousineau
Home Page
|
|
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.
back to top
|
