Let's discuss teaching philosophy

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BBruce107
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Let's discuss teaching philosophy

Post by BBruce107 »

This concept of teaching philosophy has been one that has intrigued me for some time now. I have my ideas of how to teach but I am curious as to how people would describe their teaching philosophies such as for thesis defense, dissertation, etc. I am also curious as to what others consider their teaching philosophy and would enjoy a discussion of what works well and maybe some new ideas to refine my teaching of my current students.
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jorzef
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Re: Let's discuss teaching philosophy

Post by jorzef »

I don't teach music and I don't teach in the US. But I think there are some points in common with what I teach and music education. Teachers first need to identify their students' needs. Then they need to think about how they can meet those needs. Finally, exams are as much a test of teaching as they are a way to evaluate students. If there is something my students cannot do or they cannot do it as well as expected, then it is because of a failure of teaching.

The old-fashioned method of telling students what to do, showing them how, watching as they try and correcting any mistakes, and then sending them home with something to practice seems to work well in most any situation. However, it seems that most universities do not hire faculty based on teaching ability, and as a result, many instructors are frustrated by their students' inability to perform. Solving maths problems in front of students, for example, and publishing papers in peer reviewed journals is not teaching; it is showing off. A teacher watches students as they try to work out a problem, figures out what is going wrong when they don't get the right answer, explains to them what went wrong and how to correct their mistake, and then has them try again making sure they avoid making the same mistake twice. But the other problem that many universities have, at least the ones around here, is that they expect one teacher to service 30 students at one time in a ninety minute class that meets once a week. But I digress.

As for dissertations, while good writers are often avid readers, the reverse is not always true - avid readers are not always good writers. And likewise, good writers, and researchers for that matter, are not always good teachers of writing or research - they can write and research, but don't always understand why. Writing a dissertation requires specific instruction, instruction which is not always part of a teacher's expertise. If writing a good dissertation were just a matter of reading several model examples, then I ought to be a pretty decent guitarist. I mean, I've spent hours and hours listening to and watching Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, etc. play, so why am I still such a lousy guitarist? But again, I digress.
Last edited by jorzef on Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Leland
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Re: Let's discuss teaching philosophy

Post by Leland »

I supposed I haven't taught often enough to come up with a "teaching philosophy". I don't think I could end up writing a whole dissertation on it, either, unless I fatten it with dozens of anecdotes.

I like to say, however, that kids will do amazing things if you tell them they can do it. You just have to know a dozen ways to tell them.
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