My Teaching Philosophy

Posted by Qrystal on April 2, 2009 at 7:02.
Category: Concepts. Tags: myself, philosophy, teaching, understanding.

I prepared this writeup for my teaching portfolio, which I needed to submit along with a nomination I was honoured to receive for a GA/TA Award for Educational Practice.

Also in this package, I had to include letters from students willing to support my nomination, and the ones who did were motivational almost beyond words. Putting this package together was so inspirational that I feel like I’ve won something fantastic already, even though the judging for the award isn’t going to be done until mid-May or so.

This Teaching Philosophy had to be no more than two pages (it printed to just over a page and a half), and it was to address my values and beliefs and how they apply to my teaching practice.

The only thing I added when posting here were the headings (it didn’t seem to look right on my webpage without them, though in print it seemed fine without them!) and a slight addition to one sentence that I realized needed just a little more to complete the thought.

Edit: April 8, 2009 — I made a wordle of the words used in the teaching philosophy!

The Importance of Understanding

Of all the values I hold dear, the one that guides me the most in my teaching is the importance of understanding. I take this concept to mean more than just knowledge itself, but also the context surrounding that knowledge, and how the knowledge has relevance and greater meaning. Thus, knowledge can exist without understanding, but not vice versa; however, understanding can facilitate the absorption of more knowledge.

On a global scale, I believe that it is vitally important for humankind to always be increasing its understanding of how the universe functions on many different levels: physical, biological, mental, and cultural. Pursuit of this increased understanding unites us as a species, providing us with a purpose that is more than just a means to an end. Although this sort of understanding has extrinsic value in that it can be applied to improve our quality of life, I believe the intrinsic value is even more potent: it raises the level at which we understand things, thus improving our collective ability to understand even more.

On a personal scale, I believe that the purpose of the mind is to process its surroundings in order to gain understanding of how things work and how people behave: failure to strive for understanding is a failure to fulfil the purpose of the mind. Also, as people learn more, they become more valuable: they are not only more likely to have insights that benefit the greater goal of increasing human understanding, but they are more interesting to interact with, and thus they inspire more people to join the pursuit of greater understanding. I also strongly believe that lifelong learning is essential for mental longevity, and I not only say this often, but I fully intend to continually lead the way by example.

On an interpersonal scale, understanding refers to a consideration of another person’s perspective. It starts with an empathic guess based on what it seems that person’s circumstances are, and evolves based on inferences obtained from the things that person says or does. I find this sort of understanding to be highly valuable when I’m trying to help someone learn: it creates a connection, thus enabling me to be more of a guide than a fount of knowledge.

Motivating Learning

As I see it, to teach is to transmit knowledge or skills, to educate is to impart meaning and context, and to learn is to incorporate knowledge, skills, and/or contextual meaning into one’s own understanding. Thus, understanding cannot be transferred, but it can be encouraged to grow, and that is what we as educators must strive to do.

I believe that anyone is capable of understanding anything, if they have the desire to learn it. It is certainly a joy to teach someone who passionately wants to know more about a subject, but of course, not everyone feels that way, particularly in my experience assisting students with physics and mathematics. Sometimes a student’s only motivation is to get a good grade, or to be able to apply the knowledge in a particular way, but I always try and spark at least a little bit of awe in how fascinating the subject can be. By doing this, I aim to increase the student’s desire to understand and help them have fun as well, since these can (and usually do!) facilitate the person’s learning of the material.

I also believe that a lot of people have difficulty learning because of a lack of confidence. When a teacher makes difficult material more accessible, or when a tutor confirms that a student is making great strides, student confidence increases. When student confidence increases, there is a decrease in the resistance to developing even greater understanding. Conversely, I believe that when students are led to realize that they actually have some understanding instead of just knowledge, their confidence increases, in turn leading to an increase in the rate of understanding.

How I Teach

Overall, my teaching is driven not only by my own fascination with knowing and understanding, but also by my desire to help others pursue greater understanding in their own unique way. My awareness and respect of individuality has helped me immensely in one-on-one teaching and within small groups, because I have been able to tune into students’ current states and ensure I focus on what is most needed at the time, whether it is clarifying misconceptions, encouraging further review or practice, or guiding in ways that can be applicable to any problem needing to be solved in the future.

For larger groups, I provide teaching materials that I write in a friendly and accessible way, to encourage self-learning first, which by its very nature is very individual. I then strongly encourage questions, emphasizing that no question is too small, and that asking is an excellent way to verify one’s own learning. In my years of experience as a teaching assistant, this personal approach has worked very well for me, as evidenced by the positive feedback I have received. My students, when I’m done working with them, consistently seem to have gained more confidence and optimism, more motivation and perseverance, more appreciation for the subject matter, and of course, more of the understanding that I value so much.

14 Comments »

http://timtfj.wordpress.com/ Tim J

I’m commenting as a learner rather than a teacher!

I like your thoughts on confidence and motivation; I think those are key.

Thinking about the context of learning a musical instrument: in order to really learn the instrument, you’ve got to be able to feel intuitively what’s going on as you play, what the sensations are when you’re doing particular techniques well, and so on, which I’d say is a kind of kinaesthetic “understanding” which you can only experience for yourself: the teacher can’t have that experience for you, only guide you in the right direction so it’s there to be experienced.

The violin teacher I had when I was at university (as an electronics student, I hasten to add) was excellent. I usually dscribe what he did by saying “He didn’t teach people how to play the violin; he taught them how to learn the violin”, which I think was key and empowering. Again I think this belongs under the heading of understanding in your scheme: understanding what the aims are, what needs learning, how to find your way to them, and integrating them with the kind of playing you want to do.

I couldn’t agree more about questions, and I also think the being aware of the questions your mind is asking as you try to learn is very relevant to motivation (they’re the things you want to find out) and to getting where you want to be. If you can put your finger on just what question it is that’s niggling you or creating a block, you’re well on your way to sorting it out.
http://timtfj.wordpress.com/ Tim J

I’m commenting as a learner rather than a teacher!

I like your thoughts on confidence and motivation; I think those are key.

Thinking about the context of learning a musical instrument: in order to really learn the instrument, you’ve got to be able to feel intuitively what’s going on as you play, what the sensations are when you’re doing particular techniques well, and so on, which I’d say is a kind of kinaesthetic “understanding” which you can only experience for yourself: the teacher can’t have that experience for you, only guide you in the right direction so it’s there to be experienced.

The violin teacher I had when I was at university (as an electronics student, I hasten to add) was excellent. I usually dscribe what he did by saying “He didn’t teach people how to play the violin; he taught them how to learn the violin”, which I think was key and empowering. Again I think this belongs under the heading of understanding in your scheme: understanding what the aims are, what needs learning, how to find your way to them, and integrating them with the kind of playing you want to do.

I couldn’t agree more about questions, and I also think the being aware of the questions your mind is asking as you try to learn is very relevant to motivation (they’re the things you want to find out) and to getting where you want to be. If you can put your finger on just what question it is that’s niggling you or creating a block, you’re well on your way to sorting it out.
http://qrystal.name Qrystal

Hey Tim, thanks for your comment! I find it especially interesting because of how you describe learning music.

I’ve never had a music teacher (I taught myself the basics of piano as a kid; in university, I picked up guitar), and so I’ve had to supply my own motivation and confidence — which is very difficult, because I don’t know if I’m on the right track or not! What if I’ve been learning all wrong, and my hand positions are now permanently incorrect?! Maybe it’s not too late for me to turn to a teacher and see if I can pick up some better techniques…

Also, I should point out that I’m actually horrible at asking questions! I’m really working to fix this, but I’m not sure yet what would help, except more practice asking questions. This is why I encourage my students to work on this too: asking questions not only helps with understanding (if you can figure out what to ask) but it also gives practice in asking questions!
http://qrystal.name Qrystal

Hey Tim, thanks for your comment! I find it especially interesting because of how you describe learning music.

I’ve never had a music teacher (I taught myself the basics of piano as a kid; in university, I picked up guitar), and so I’ve had to supply my own motivation and confidence — which is very difficult, because I don’t know if I’m on the right track or not! What if I’ve been learning all wrong, and my hand positions are now permanently incorrect?! Maybe it’s not too late for me to turn to a teacher and see if I can pick up some better techniques…

Also, I should point out that I’m actually horrible at asking questions! I’m really working to fix this, but I’m not sure yet what would help, except more practice asking questions. This is why I encourage my students to work on this too: asking questions not only helps with understanding (if you can figure out what to ask) but it also gives practice in asking questions!
http://timtfj.wordpress.com/ Tim J

I was lucky that my teacher taught me some principles which I think apply to all instruments. So when I was unable to afford a teacher after university, I was in a reasonable position to give myself good lessons…

Well, answering the question yod u didn’t ask, a “good” hand position on an instrument is the one which enables you to make the necessary movements in the most relaxed and efficient way with the most freedom of movement. And that’s a principle you can analyse and experiment with. “What do I want to happen?” “What difficulties seem to be stopping it happening?” “How can I break the most important one down to a manageable size and attack it?”

The first answer might be “I don’t know what the obstacles are”, so that is itself the first one, and the first exercise is to observe your playing to see what’s tensing up, or what you find difficult, then the next exercise is to try to identify why…

A teacher speeds the process up by knowing the standard things that can go wrong and the standard ways to sort them out, and by being able to see more easily what it looks like, or notice that you’ve lapsed into something you didn’t realise you were doing, but it’s that sort of process.

I wonder… What would happen if you did a mental exercise of turning difficulties into questions? Eg “I’m no good at asking questions” might become “How can I get better at asking questions?”, “What do I find hard about asking questions?”, “Do I find some things harder to ask questions about than others?” and so on. Just a thought, largely because it’s an exercise I’d find quite fun myself (and maybe also one suited to someoone who likes words, because it’s a bit like an editing exercise too.)
http://timtfj.wordpress.com/ Tim J

I was lucky that my teacher taught me some principles which I think apply to all instruments. So when I was unable to afford a teacher after university, I was in a reasonable position to give myself good lessons…

Well, answering the question yod u didn’t ask, a “good” hand position on an instrument is the one which enables you to make the necessary movements in the most relaxed and efficient way with the most freedom of movement. And that’s a principle you can analyse and experiment with. “What do I want to happen?” “What difficulties seem to be stopping it happening?” “How can I break the most important one down to a manageable size and attack it?”

The first answer might be “I don’t know what the obstacles are”, so that is itself the first one, and the first exercise is to observe your playing to see what’s tensing up, or what you find difficult, then the next exercise is to try to identify why…

A teacher speeds the process up by knowing the standard things that can go wrong and the standard ways to sort them out, and by being able to see more easily what it looks like, or notice that you’ve lapsed into something you didn’t realise you were doing, but it’s that sort of process.

I wonder… What would happen if you did a mental exercise of turning difficulties into questions? Eg “I’m no good at asking questions” might become “How can I get better at asking questions?”, “What do I find hard about asking questions?”, “Do I find some things harder to ask questions about than others?” and so on. Just a thought, largely because it’s an exercise I’d find quite fun myself (and maybe also one suited to someoone who likes words, because it’s a bit like an editing exercise too.)
http://qrystal.name Qrystal

Thanks, I’ll think about analyzing in that way next time I try barre chords — which isn’t very often, because I find them difficult enough that I don’t enjoy trying. It’s probably worth getting some lessons though, at least to find out if it’s something I’m doing wrong or something I just need to practice more!

The mental exercise of turning difficulties into questions seems especially intriguing. It not only applies to my resistance to asking questions, but to pretty much every other situation as well! Why do I feel so tempted by distracting activities? How can I stay more focused on my thesis? What is the best choice of things to do next?

How did I get so fortunate to meet such a thought-provoking person, to help me reason through issues such as this? :)
http://qrystal.name Qrystal

Thanks, I’ll think about analyzing in that way next time I try barre chords — which isn’t very often, because I find them difficult enough that I don’t enjoy trying. It’s probably worth getting some lessons though, at least to find out if it’s something I’m doing wrong or something I just need to practice more!

The mental exercise of turning difficulties into questions seems especially intriguing. It not only applies to my resistance to asking questions, but to pretty much every other situation as well! Why do I feel so tempted by distracting activities? How can I stay more focused on my thesis? What is the best choice of things to do next?

How did I get so fortunate to meet such a thought-provoking person, to help me reason through issues such as this? :)
http://commonsensequantum.blogspot.com Arjen Dijksman

Hello Qrystal,

Thanks for this inspiring post. I’m a poor teacher, mainly due to the fact that I am a deductive thinker, not knowing how a sentence will end when I start it. I’m an eternal student. Knowing by memory is unproductive knowledge, so I learn and relearn till I really understand what I learn and even than, I might be tempted to relearn it from start.

What’s your best teaching experience?

Kind regards,
Arjen
http://commonsensequantum.blogspot.com Arjen Dijksman

Hello Qrystal,

Thanks for this inspiring post. I’m a poor teacher, mainly due to the fact that I am a deductive thinker, not knowing how a sentence will end when I start it. I’m an eternal student. Knowing by memory is unproductive knowledge, so I learn and relearn till I really understand what I learn and even than, I might be tempted to relearn it from start.

What’s your best teaching experience?

Kind regards,
Arjen
http://timtfj.wordpress.com Tim J

It’s hard not to start analysing the barré chords and saying that I expect the position of the guitar is crucial to being able to get the hand in a natural position where the finger will reach, but I’m not really a guitarist (well I did some self-taught classical guitar, but that’s it). And I imagine it’s good to have the base of the first finger as close to the guitar neck as possible so it takes less effort(levers, moment of a force and all that)… Ahem. (I’ve sometimes thought of violin teaching, because I can’t stop analysing this stuff.)

Right, so the problems might be (1) getting the finger straight enough to stop all six strings at once, (ii) getting enough “pressure” (force) to push them down properly, (iii) avoiding the other fingers tensing up in sympathy, (iv) leaving the other fingers free to go where they need to for their notes, and possibly (v) strengthening the finger without straining it in the process, (vi) recognising the fingering to use in the first place. And I suppose less pressure might be needed further from the fret, so that’s something to experiment with… Probably the reason it’s difficult is that there are really 5 or 6 problems, and the thing to do is find ways to isolate them and work on one at once.

I’ve just guessed what the problems might be, but that’s the approach. You break it down until the stages are small and easy.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to write a music lesson! I’ve always been fascinated by the process.

What I actually meant to say was thanks for the compliment expressed as a question! I can’t stop thinking, so it’s nice when someone appreciates it. :-)
http://timtfj.wordpress.com Tim J

It’s hard not to start analysing the barré chords and saying that I expect the position of the guitar is crucial to being able to get the hand in a natural position where the finger will reach, but I’m not really a guitarist (well I did some self-taught classical guitar, but that’s it). And I imagine it’s good to have the base of the first finger as close to the guitar neck as possible so it takes less effort(levers, moment of a force and all that)… Ahem. (I’ve sometimes thought of violin teaching, because I can’t stop analysing this stuff.)

Right, so the problems might be (1) getting the finger straight enough to stop all six strings at once, (ii) getting enough “pressure” (force) to push them down properly, (iii) avoiding the other fingers tensing up in sympathy, (iv) leaving the other fingers free to go where they need to for their notes, and possibly (v) strengthening the finger without straining it in the process, (vi) recognising the fingering to use in the first place. And I suppose less pressure might be needed further from the fret, so that’s something to experiment with… Probably the reason it’s difficult is that there are really 5 or 6 problems, and the thing to do is find ways to isolate them and work on one at once.

I’ve just guessed what the problems might be, but that’s the approach. You break it down until the stages are small and easy.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to write a music lesson! I’ve always been fascinated by the process.

What I actually meant to say was thanks for the compliment expressed as a question! I can’t stop thinking, so it’s nice when someone appreciates it. :-)
http://qrystal.name Qrystal

Hmm, thanks to these comments, I am now stuck between wanting to play guitar, and wanting to write another blog post (perhaps something to kickstart my other blog about physics appreciation)… :)

@Arjen:

I wasn’t quite sure I understood what you meant by being a deductive thinker, but everything else you said rang so true with me, I wonder if that means I am a deductive thinker as well!

I’ve been trying to come up with a “best teaching experience” to share — and now that I’m here at the end of a semester, with time to reply properly, I can’t think of a specific experience! The most rewarding *type* of experience I’ve had though is when I’m helping someone who isn’t sure they understand, and I get to point out that they’re doing better than they thought they were.

@Tim:

I am astounded at the way you’ve broken the problem into parts, and I suspect my problem is indeed all of those parts! Also, my guitar strings are pretty high up from the fretboard (despite a recent servicing) and that makes it tough too. I’m quite happy to continue avoiding barre chords for the most part, though, at least for now: I have enough songs to work on that don’t use them! :)
http://qrystal.name Qrystal

Hmm, thanks to these comments, I am now stuck between wanting to play guitar, and wanting to write another blog post (perhaps something to kickstart my other blog about physics appreciation)… :)

@Arjen:

I wasn’t quite sure I understood what you meant by being a deductive thinker, but everything else you said rang so true with me, I wonder if that means I am a deductive thinker as well!

I’ve been trying to come up with a “best teaching experience” to share — and now that I’m here at the end of a semester, with time to reply properly, I can’t think of a specific experience! The most rewarding *type* of experience I’ve had though is when I’m helping someone who isn’t sure they understand, and I get to point out that they’re doing better than they thought they were.

@Tim:

I am astounded at the way you’ve broken the problem into parts, and I suspect my problem is indeed all of those parts! Also, my guitar strings are pretty high up from the fretboard (despite a recent servicing) and that makes it tough too. I’m quite happy to continue avoiding barre chords for the most part, though, at least for now: I have enough songs to work on that don’t use them! :)

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