Teaching Philosophy

At the heart of my teaching philosophy is the concept that it is my job is to help my students succeed. Therefore, I search for methods and techniques that may help my students reach their academic and career goals in both traditional face-to-face classes and online/hybrid classes.

I believe that the single most significant quality that an instructor can have is commitment. To be an effective instructor, I feel that I must be committed to my students, to continuously improving my teaching techniques, as well as to the community to which I serve. Over the past ten years, I have learned that teaching English is not only about creating and fine‐tuning lessons and learning units, but to establish a connection to my students to help them achieve success. My students’ definition of success is as diverse as the students themselves. In many cases, the primary version of success for them is to achieve a high grade in my course, while for others it is just to prove to themselves that they can enroll, complete, and pass a college course. This holds true for my traditional face‐to‐face classes, as well as my hybrid and online courses.

For these reasons, I have developed this web site to introduce students to my teaching philosophies, expectations, sample syllabi, and feedback from my former students before they enroll in my course. I share my expectations clearly with my students in advance of the first day of class, giving the students an opportunity to understand the expectations and time commitment that each class will require.This way, my students can see the course requirements ahead of time, and decide whether an online English course will suit their learning needs.

Online and/or hybrid courses are not easier than traditional on-campus classes. The major difference is that online/hybrid courses incorporate multiple voices and opinions. I am not the sole provider of information in the class. I set the topics and assignments, and guide my students through their learning process. The students are expected to interact with other students by posting, arguing, and defending their ideas. My classes are designed to engage the students in the process of obtaining knowledge and participating in collaborative activities to reach the course objectives. In pursuit of this active and engaged learning experience, I use a variety of technologies including visual media--videos and images, as well as audio files—in addition to traditional lecture notes. While trying to incorporate a range of learning styles with technology, I remain sensitive to the cost of new technologies and materials for my students.

For me, teaching is not just a job; it is who I am and what I do. I strive to make my traditional and online classes engaging. I value my students' contributions and feedback, and I understand the competing needs of the community college student. I understand that many of my students work full time, have families, and juggle other demands while going to school. However, I also hold my students to a high level of achievement and commitment in pursuit of their education.

Get ready to work diligently, learn much, and have some fun!