A Planner's Philosophy of Teaching
Teaching, for me, is the foundational practice aimed at engaging, informing, and advising students to become effective practitioners, innovative academics, or empowered members of their community. My approach to teaching prioritizes active learning experiences where students can directly contribute to addressing real-world problems, produce tangible results, and recognize the practical implications of the concepts introduced in class. Reaching the ambitious goal of my teaching philosophy requires constant feedback on course work; however, I consider it vital towards fostering an environment conducive to high-quality deliverables in a format expected in professional forums. Evident by my philosophy of teaching is its correlation with the profession of planning. For planners, comparable to many professions, there is an inherent responsibility to remain conscious that our recommendations often affect all members of the community. It is this key principle that I integrate into all three roles of my teaching philosophy (i.e. engage, inform, and advise).
To prepare students for future endeavors which often involve a change in their social, cultural, and intellectual environments, I believe it is my responsibility as an instructor to be an advocate for diversity both in and outside the classroom. The first and most common strategy I apply when attempting to engage students is utilizing the diverse backgrounds and feedback of the individuals present. I encourage students to apply their past experiences to the topic of discussion while ensuring the dialog remains both civil and open to ideas beyond the popular discourse. Since student preferences towards conveying information is not universal, it is my responsibility to determine the subtle balance between providing flexibility while maintaining opportunities for simulating professional dialog. Another approach I find to be quite effective at engaging students is allowing them to have some discretion in terms of how they utilize the information from the course. I believe providing students a sense of ownership over their work (e.g. letting them select their community of study) allows them to be creative, fosters intellectual diversity, and focuses the discussion on course concepts around their interests. Field projects in other communities is another exceptional approach I believe is valuable for students to experience outside engagement while conversing with individuals beyond their typical cohorts.
Often prioritized as the most significant role of instructors is the ability to inform students. For me, the ability to inform effectively is highly dependent upon awareness of the audience. The goal for some courses is to inform students with the expectation that they understand and retain the material. Alternatively, other courses are intended to provide students opportunities to apply what they learn from the course. This distinction is critical for how I approach course development, assessments, etc. As a practiced planner, another approach I find helpful for students is applying my own experiences to the content of the course. While I will never design a course purely around anecdotal experiences, I have found students are more willing to ask questions and engaged when I link a relevant professional narrative to the content. To integrate diversity and inclusivity into the dialog when informing students, some of my preferred strategies include inviting guests from a variety of backgrounds, presenting examples from various communities, and providing readings from an assortment of perspectives.
Finally, the teaching role I find most rewarding is the capacity to advise students towards their academic and professional goals. By establishing professional-level expectations for my students, I strive to foster an environment conducive for them to reach their full potential. Doing so warrants the provision of constructive feedback and the setting of goals that are challenging yet attainable. I consider teaching in the form of advising to be inherently distinct from the other roles since it often requires a more personal approach. Whether it be one-on-one discussions, grading assignments, or reviewing graduate research, I see it as my responsibility to manage the subtle balance between providing students useful advice while still allowing them to think critically. Recognizing that students originate from diverse backgrounds and learn at different paces, patience, for me, is just another fundamental element of effective teaching. While my philosophy of teaching centers heavily on how I view my roles, goals, values, and responsibilities as an instructor, I also believe a student’s work ethic is vital to their success. In sum, my philosophy of teaching seeks to guide the next generation of professionals, academics, and empowered members of the community to be even more engaged, informed, and prepared than their predecessors when it comes to how they shape communities of the future.
To prepare students for future endeavors which often involve a change in their social, cultural, and intellectual environments, I believe it is my responsibility as an instructor to be an advocate for diversity both in and outside the classroom. The first and most common strategy I apply when attempting to engage students is utilizing the diverse backgrounds and feedback of the individuals present. I encourage students to apply their past experiences to the topic of discussion while ensuring the dialog remains both civil and open to ideas beyond the popular discourse. Since student preferences towards conveying information is not universal, it is my responsibility to determine the subtle balance between providing flexibility while maintaining opportunities for simulating professional dialog. Another approach I find to be quite effective at engaging students is allowing them to have some discretion in terms of how they utilize the information from the course. I believe providing students a sense of ownership over their work (e.g. letting them select their community of study) allows them to be creative, fosters intellectual diversity, and focuses the discussion on course concepts around their interests. Field projects in other communities is another exceptional approach I believe is valuable for students to experience outside engagement while conversing with individuals beyond their typical cohorts.
Often prioritized as the most significant role of instructors is the ability to inform students. For me, the ability to inform effectively is highly dependent upon awareness of the audience. The goal for some courses is to inform students with the expectation that they understand and retain the material. Alternatively, other courses are intended to provide students opportunities to apply what they learn from the course. This distinction is critical for how I approach course development, assessments, etc. As a practiced planner, another approach I find helpful for students is applying my own experiences to the content of the course. While I will never design a course purely around anecdotal experiences, I have found students are more willing to ask questions and engaged when I link a relevant professional narrative to the content. To integrate diversity and inclusivity into the dialog when informing students, some of my preferred strategies include inviting guests from a variety of backgrounds, presenting examples from various communities, and providing readings from an assortment of perspectives.
Finally, the teaching role I find most rewarding is the capacity to advise students towards their academic and professional goals. By establishing professional-level expectations for my students, I strive to foster an environment conducive for them to reach their full potential. Doing so warrants the provision of constructive feedback and the setting of goals that are challenging yet attainable. I consider teaching in the form of advising to be inherently distinct from the other roles since it often requires a more personal approach. Whether it be one-on-one discussions, grading assignments, or reviewing graduate research, I see it as my responsibility to manage the subtle balance between providing students useful advice while still allowing them to think critically. Recognizing that students originate from diverse backgrounds and learn at different paces, patience, for me, is just another fundamental element of effective teaching. While my philosophy of teaching centers heavily on how I view my roles, goals, values, and responsibilities as an instructor, I also believe a student’s work ethic is vital to their success. In sum, my philosophy of teaching seeks to guide the next generation of professionals, academics, and empowered members of the community to be even more engaged, informed, and prepared than their predecessors when it comes to how they shape communities of the future.