Teaching philosophy

My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that meaningful learning occurs through active engagement—a concept often summarized by the quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” While lectures and guided discussions remain valuable tools, it is the deeper levels of engagement—between instructor and students, and among students themselves—that cultivate lasting understanding and critical thinking.

Effective instruction requires more than content delivery; it depends on connecting new concepts to students’ prior knowledge, real-world contexts, and cross-disciplinary relevance. This approach encourages learners to construct meaning through relevance and reflection. To facilitate this process, I employ the gradual release of responsibility model, strategic scaffolding, and purposeful questioning—particularly probing techniques that push students to explain, justify, and apply their learning.

Ultimately, I aim to create a classroom environment that is student-centered, inquiry-driven, and rooted in authentic academic experiences. Through this, students are empowered not only to understand content, but also to develop the skills and confidence needed for lifelong learning.