Mahnaz Moallem

I have mastered new knowledge and skills in my subject area and continue to do so by engaging in different activities. I constantly review the literature and read the results of the new research and theories to be aware of the emerging issues and trends in my field. I attend and present at national, international, and state conferences (a minimum of three) on an annual base and network with scholars in my field locally and at the national and international level to stay informed in my field. I am on reviewer panels for several conferences, book publishers and refereed journals in my field (please see the supporting materials). As a reviewer, I have the opportunity to learn from recent work in my field and to keep abreast of new research and theories. I am an active member of several online discussion groups in my field and related areas where I discuss and share view points with my colleagues on new trends and issues. I conduct systematic inquiry of my own teaching methods linking my practices with my research interest. By researching what I practice I have an opportunity to not only master the understanding of the new theories but also to evaluate their applications for different learning environments. My publications demonstrate that I have been able to learn from researching my own practice and systematically testing the applications of new theories. I have also been able to share my findings with my colleagues and scholars in the field to obtain their views and critiques of my work. I update and renew my knowledge and skills in my field by continuously participating in a wide range of workshops and training programs (please see the supporting materials for the list of workshops or training programs that I have attended).
My teaching methods or strategies stem from my teaching beliefs or philosophy. However, as my teaching philosophy evolves further and as I learn from new research and technology and construct new knowledge, my teaching methods or strategies change. I consider myself as an early adopter, if not an innovator, of new ideas, theories, and tools. In my practice I am willing to take a risk and to experiment with new ideas, theories and tools without jeopardizing student learning. Additionally, I regularly strive to improve my teaching by seeking student feedback, talking with peers, attending teaching seminars, reading and experimenting with new methods.
The following statements summarize my pedagogical techniques:

• Learning in my classes is a partnership between students and me. When designing my course format and evaluation requirements, I strive to optimize student engagement and success. If a student fails, I also, have failed. If a student succeeds, I succeed.
• I facilitate learning - learning of new or new insights into old information. I work largely to provide my students with intellectual stimulation, salient questions, ethical options (rather than settled answers), and resources for further inquiry
• Each student in my class is a unique individual with unique talents and experiences. I take upon myself to help students sort out and enhance their unique qualities.
• In each of my classes, I emphasize critical and reflective thinking and real-world applications of the concepts and issues we study. I use problem-solving tasks to challenge students to "learn to learn," to work cooperatively in groups and to seek solutions to real world problems.
• I actively encourage additional dialogue with students during office hours, by appointment, telephone, discussion boards, and email.
• I regularly strive to improve my teaching by seeking student feedback. In each of my courses I have mechanism and strategies in place to obtain student feedback on a regular basis in order to address students' needs and concerns throughout the semester.

As my supporting materials and documentation of course syllabi show, I have revisited and revised my pedagogical techniques regularly and adopted new tools and methods to further my students' learning and to improve my teaching practice.