At the University of Arizona (U of A), I have taught both lower- and upper- division, online and in-class courses as the instructor of record. Below are the courses I prepared and taught at the U of A:
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SOC 101: Introduction to Sociology
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SOC 232: Individuals, Groups, and Society
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SOC 300: Sources of Sociological Theory
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SOC 375: Quantitative Reasoning in Sociology
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SOC 430: Social Network Analysis
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As an instructor and a mentor, I stand by three principles: 1) to facilitate productive thinking; 2) to encourage learning through collaboration and discussion, and 3) to encourage a mindset of growth.
The first principle stems from the common notion that learning is a continuum between consumption and production of knowledge. It is often thought that a novice of any discipline should consume a lot of knowledge to contribute to the development of a discipline. While I believe this contention to be generally true, my goal as a teacher is to encourage students to engage in productive thinking through critical appreciation of the course material they are learning. I achieve this by creating short, manageable prompts or discussion questions that call to entertain the linkages between the course material and everyday life. For example, in my theory class I ask students to write a paper on how Èmile Durkheim would interpret a suicide of a celebrity, or to reflect on the relevance of Max Weber’s concept of the iron cage in our society, or to think about Michel Foucault’s theory of panopticism in the light of technological progress of the contemporary world. In my introduction to sociology course, I help students understand how knowledge is socially constructed by asking them to choose an event that is making national headlines and to critically analyze the differences in its coverage across several news sources. In my introductory statistics course, I encourage creativity and inquisition by allowing students to examine variables and relationships of their own choice and interest.
The second principle – learning through collaboration – embodies my conviction that optimal learning and discovery is a collaborative process. Thinking aloud, discussing ideas, and sharing insights facilitates learning. I implement this idea by assigning group work as well as by creating class discussions. For example, in my theory class I break the class into groups and ask students to generate a research idea that would involve the theories or concepts that they have learned. As each group presents its work, members of other groups have to challenge the presenting group by asking questions and providing constructive criticism and/or contributing to the idea by sharing their input and thoughts. I believe that this method promotes learning through engagement and critical thinking, and provides students with the valuable experience of collaboration which is a ubiquitous part of any working environment.
Finally, as a strong proponent of life-long learning, I seek to instill my students with a mindset of growth. The notion comes from the work of a Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck. In her research, Dweck found that our success and achievements are largely dependent on how we view our own personalities. A “fixed mindset” presumes that our intelligence and ability are fixed traits; therefore, success indicates (or depends upon) the inherent intelligence. Avoiding challenges and failures then becomes one’s way of feeling smart. Conversely, a “growth mindset” thrives on challenges and treats failure as an opportunity for the expansion of existing abilities. While safe, the first mindset is limiting and potentially discouraging if one encounters a more demanding challenge. It is the growth mindset that enables us to continuously improve and learn without feeling like we are failing. I encourage such mindset by rewarding effort, engagement, and responsibility.