Teaching philosophy
As a lexicographer living in a region whose English is quite different from my own, I often find myself reaching for the dictionary to understand a new word. However, I frequently find myself reaching for the dictionary several times for the same word. It is not enough that I get the meaning in the moment. To learn something, I must be able to internalize it, understand it when it presents itself, and be able to deploy that knowledge effectively, such as using the word in a sentence and maybe even deploying it in a pun or altering it in some way to some pragmatic effect. The university classroom is full of these learning instances, as students get socialized into a community of professionals that share a knowledge base and a way of talking about and utilizing that knowledge. Learning, then, is the process of taking in information, being able to access it at will, exploring that information and being able to use it in creative ways.
Teaching is the practice of making learning happen. It may happen in the classroom, but for me, the learning outside the classroom is also important. A teacher should be able to get students to not only get the knowledge in the classroom, but for them to pick up on the phenomena that we discuss when they are out ‘in the wild’. As a teacher I am responsible for making sure that my students’ knowledge is as complete, up-to-date, and easy to absorb. This is not to say that students should not be challenged; indeed, giving students work that forces them to push themselves to apply and develop their skills beyond their comfort zones will help them with the learning process. But students should be challenged in ways that benefit them. They should not have to struggle with unclear textbooks, ineffective presentation of material, examples that are better suited to a different culture, and other needless obstacles. Instead, as an instructor, I am responsible for guiding them through difficult material, re-presenting it in a more familiar way, and giving them the confidence that they can apply it correctly. I encourage students to reach out to me via e-mail or to come to my office to get more attention for any problems.
At times my teaching style has not led to the general success of my students. When this happens, I talk to the students to find out what changes they believe will help them, and I try to implement them as best I can. For example, in one class students told me that the use of unfamiliar jargon that I was about to introduce made it harder to follow the discussion. As a result, I started to discuss the relevant phenomena and then give them the terms to discuss these. I saw a big improvement in their retention of basic terminology after this, and implemented it in other classes. While I employ PowerPoint presentations in most lectures, I also diversify the presentation of material, giving discussion questions and activities that supplement and enrich the lectures. I hope to be able to reach students who need more hands-on work to acquire knowledge.
My goal for students is for them to be able to analyze language in an objective, precise way, and to express their analyses in a coherent, accurate manner. I want them to be able to write clear, concise definitions of words, particularly in courses on lexicography, where the subject is principally about the writing of definitions. I also want students to start to notice language use around them in light of the topics we have discussed in class, whether it is word structure, attitudes toward language, or learning languages. Many of my students are going to be teachers, and they will need to respond to the language data and issues that their students present. Lastly I want my students to feel confident about their knowledge, to be able to see the value of linguistics. To achieve these goals, I give students assignments and worksheets to help with the most basic skills, and encourage students to write practice essays that I mark to help them get used to norms in linguistic argumentation. I also try to incorporate examples from pop culture, including television clips and music, which illustrate concepts or foment discussion. And lastly I ask students for their own experience with language, such as stories about times that they have witnessed language prejudice in action or a reflection on the different uses of gine versus gun (forms of going (to) in Barbadian English). By highlighting their own experiences, it is my hope that they will see how the concepts they learn are directly relevant to their lives and also that they have valuable knowledge to contribute to the field of linguistics.
My own approach to life in general is to create an environment in which people can feel relaxed and free to express themselves openly. I apply this approach in the classroom, where students are free to ask questions without worrying about receiving a hostile response. I prefer to give many small assignments, worth few to no points, which lets students receive feedback on their initial understanding and phrasing of ideas without inducing the anxiety of a mark. For example, I have asked students to write response papers worth only a few marks on difficult readings, which helped me to assess and correct their comprehension of the material as well as their writing ability before they have to do a more important writing assignment, such as an essay or a final exam. My office is a similarly inviting place, where students can meet with me one on one and share whatever difficulties they are having. I try to give students practical advice as well as intellectual clarity about the topics or assignment that they are struggling with. When one graduate student recently told me that our meeting had made her eager to work for the first time in months, it was deeply gratifying.
My goal for the next few years is to further diversify my teaching style. I believe that for students who are digital natives, the Internet is a crucial locus for the development and exchange of ideas. I would like to incorporate more activities that give students instant feedback on their understanding of key ideas, such as ungraded or low-stakes quizzes. I also plan to include discussion forums for students to bring up not only difficulties with coursework, but also examples of linguistic phenomena in the wild, as these show an engagement with the topic and the language beyond the classroom. Lastly I am considering developing courses involving flipped classrooms, having students view a lecture-style video of mine before coming to class for thematic discussion and practical applications of the concepts discussed. This can be, in the right circumstances, a way to enhance the time that students spend in my presence, as it encourages them to articulate their ideas and concerns in a way that allows the instructor to spot subtle and serious misunderstandings.
Teaching is the practice of making learning happen. It may happen in the classroom, but for me, the learning outside the classroom is also important. A teacher should be able to get students to not only get the knowledge in the classroom, but for them to pick up on the phenomena that we discuss when they are out ‘in the wild’. As a teacher I am responsible for making sure that my students’ knowledge is as complete, up-to-date, and easy to absorb. This is not to say that students should not be challenged; indeed, giving students work that forces them to push themselves to apply and develop their skills beyond their comfort zones will help them with the learning process. But students should be challenged in ways that benefit them. They should not have to struggle with unclear textbooks, ineffective presentation of material, examples that are better suited to a different culture, and other needless obstacles. Instead, as an instructor, I am responsible for guiding them through difficult material, re-presenting it in a more familiar way, and giving them the confidence that they can apply it correctly. I encourage students to reach out to me via e-mail or to come to my office to get more attention for any problems.
At times my teaching style has not led to the general success of my students. When this happens, I talk to the students to find out what changes they believe will help them, and I try to implement them as best I can. For example, in one class students told me that the use of unfamiliar jargon that I was about to introduce made it harder to follow the discussion. As a result, I started to discuss the relevant phenomena and then give them the terms to discuss these. I saw a big improvement in their retention of basic terminology after this, and implemented it in other classes. While I employ PowerPoint presentations in most lectures, I also diversify the presentation of material, giving discussion questions and activities that supplement and enrich the lectures. I hope to be able to reach students who need more hands-on work to acquire knowledge.
My goal for students is for them to be able to analyze language in an objective, precise way, and to express their analyses in a coherent, accurate manner. I want them to be able to write clear, concise definitions of words, particularly in courses on lexicography, where the subject is principally about the writing of definitions. I also want students to start to notice language use around them in light of the topics we have discussed in class, whether it is word structure, attitudes toward language, or learning languages. Many of my students are going to be teachers, and they will need to respond to the language data and issues that their students present. Lastly I want my students to feel confident about their knowledge, to be able to see the value of linguistics. To achieve these goals, I give students assignments and worksheets to help with the most basic skills, and encourage students to write practice essays that I mark to help them get used to norms in linguistic argumentation. I also try to incorporate examples from pop culture, including television clips and music, which illustrate concepts or foment discussion. And lastly I ask students for their own experience with language, such as stories about times that they have witnessed language prejudice in action or a reflection on the different uses of gine versus gun (forms of going (to) in Barbadian English). By highlighting their own experiences, it is my hope that they will see how the concepts they learn are directly relevant to their lives and also that they have valuable knowledge to contribute to the field of linguistics.
My own approach to life in general is to create an environment in which people can feel relaxed and free to express themselves openly. I apply this approach in the classroom, where students are free to ask questions without worrying about receiving a hostile response. I prefer to give many small assignments, worth few to no points, which lets students receive feedback on their initial understanding and phrasing of ideas without inducing the anxiety of a mark. For example, I have asked students to write response papers worth only a few marks on difficult readings, which helped me to assess and correct their comprehension of the material as well as their writing ability before they have to do a more important writing assignment, such as an essay or a final exam. My office is a similarly inviting place, where students can meet with me one on one and share whatever difficulties they are having. I try to give students practical advice as well as intellectual clarity about the topics or assignment that they are struggling with. When one graduate student recently told me that our meeting had made her eager to work for the first time in months, it was deeply gratifying.
My goal for the next few years is to further diversify my teaching style. I believe that for students who are digital natives, the Internet is a crucial locus for the development and exchange of ideas. I would like to incorporate more activities that give students instant feedback on their understanding of key ideas, such as ungraded or low-stakes quizzes. I also plan to include discussion forums for students to bring up not only difficulties with coursework, but also examples of linguistic phenomena in the wild, as these show an engagement with the topic and the language beyond the classroom. Lastly I am considering developing courses involving flipped classrooms, having students view a lecture-style video of mine before coming to class for thematic discussion and practical applications of the concepts discussed. This can be, in the right circumstances, a way to enhance the time that students spend in my presence, as it encourages them to articulate their ideas and concerns in a way that allows the instructor to spot subtle and serious misunderstandings.