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MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Some
critics have suggested that there is a crisis in the humanities
and social sciences, and that universities are becoming increasingly
moribund institutions cut off from the “real world.”
Such pessimism is largely misdirected and misguided. The challenge
remains to make lecture and reading material resonate with students
in relevant ways, whether you are teaching an introductory survey
course or leading a specialized graduate seminar. It takes creativity
on the part of the instructor, who must translate particular
course material in a manner that offers insights to a diverse
group of students on various life and career paths. Different
students take university degrees and courses for different reasons,
and a university teacher has to respect these multifarious needs.
As someone who completed a co-op B.A. and has served as a consultant
to government, I believe emphatically that an interdisciplinary
approach is very relevant to careers within and beyond the academy,
and fosters independent, creative thinking. It is our responsibility
to educate students for numerous possibilities and opportunities.
Learning is enjoyable, and intellectual exercises should be
challenging, inclusive, and fun. My teaching strategies have
evolved with this in mind. I am also very interested in techniques
that my colleagues are using, so that I might incorporate their
“best practices” into my own teaching.
The essential pedagogical task of the professional scholar is
to teach students how to think critically: how to ask good questions,
and how to measure evidence and interpretation. By reflecting
on the application and negotiation of power in the past, we
develop a sense of who we are and gain critical insights into
the present and future. I try to present lecture material in
a manner that leaves students with historical and philosophical
issues or dilemmas to ponder. In seminars, I encourage undergraduate
students to critically analyze readings and lectures, to articulate
their observations and assessments on the bases of theory and
evidence, and to challenge their colleagues in a constructive
manner. Although I have always enjoyed engaging in vigorous
debate, I try to act as a facilitator and mediator of discussion
in seminars rather than a direct commentator as much as possible,
in recognition that an instructor’s “authority”
can stifle as much as encourage lively debate if he/she is not
self-aware.
Students require positive, critical encouragement and consistency.
My expectations of students are carefully explained in class
and reiterated prior to examinations, and my policy in grading
remains that of “firm but fair.” I endeavour to
provide students with helpful comments that do not denigrate
their efforts, but allow them to develop their skills as thinkers
and writers. An instructor needs to be flexible to individual
exigencies, but not a pushover. When I am at the university,
my door is open to allow students to discuss course material
and issues with me both inside and outside of formal office
hours. I strongly believe in developing open and relaxed relationships
with students, try to talk informally with them before and after
class, and attempt where possible to learn their names. It is
critical that they do not feel like “just another face
in the crowd” – something encouraged through the
St. Jerome’s philosophy and its emphasis on smaller class
sizes. Smaller classes also permit group work, which helps to
foster a cooperative spirit, collegiality, and a sense of community
in the institution and in classes.
If we are to practice what we preach – that the study
of Canadian history, governance, cultures, and identities is
an important and interesting conduit to broader understanding–
then enthusiasm is integral to the historian’s vocation.
It is inspirational and imaginative teaching that convinced
me that I wanted to study and teach history. Each class should
be an experience in itself, and I carefully prepare each one
accordingly. An instructor who is interested in and excited
about course material will transfer that energy to students.
The process is interactive, and those who take my classes can
learn from me, and I from them. Course discussions, student
questions, and teaching evaluations all provide indispensable
feedback that allows me to strengthen my teaching skills. I
remind students that I am always learning, just as they are,
and that the study of history is first foremost about inquiry.
Teaching is a dialogue, as is scholarly research.
As a supplement to traditional forums of knowledge exchange,
evolving technologies provide new and easier ways to transfer
pertinent information to students with diverse learning needs
(or “sensory modality preferences”). In the past,
I have posted detailed course and lecture outlines on the web,
as well as provided students with links to credible scholarly
resources available online. I frequently incorporate PowerPoint
presentations containing visual images into course lectures,
and bring in guest speakers, documentary films, poetry and prose,
and folk music to provide different perspectives in the classroom.
St. Jerome’s University and the community as a whole provide
a wonderful context for my continued growth as a holistic scholar
who is vigorously engaged in teaching, researching, publishing,
and university service. My passion for Canadian history, politics
and cultures is unmistakable, and the breadth of my research
interests serves to challenge me and to reinvigorate my enthusiasm
on a continuous basis. Coupled with a love for the classroom
and a firm commitment to teaching excellence, I strive each
and every day to perpetuate SJU’s commitment to great
teaching, “free intellectual inquiry,” and holistic
development
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