Teaching as
Learning for My Students and Myself
I have been privileged to teach a
wide variety of students, ranging from young undecided American undergraduates,
to advanced majors with an interest in
One part of “teaching as learning” is
my contribution to my students’ intellectual development. I look at the time students are with me as a
precious resource to be used to develop students’ knowledge of the fields of
Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public
Administration and to generate their enthusiasm for the study of, and for
participation in, politics. This is only
a starting point, though. I also hope
to reach further and impact the students’ overall development by encouraging
students to evaluate arguments critically, to tolerate and even see the benefit
of differing opinions, and to improve their confidence in public speaking and
their skills as writers. My courses are
designed to put a premium on student involvement (through discussion or other active
learning tools such as cases and simulation exercises). I believe that with encouragement and a smile
I can demand more and get more from students and thus make a more meaningful
impact on their personal growth.
Teaching is also learning for me. I believe I should approach teaching with the
same rigor I apply to my research.
Therefore, it is imperative to keep up with trends in effective teaching
methods and to continually assess and strive to improve my teaching. In addition to these considerations of
pedagogy, though, teaching is learning in that it is an opportunity to interact
with bright young (or not so young) people of diverse experiences. Students’ views have excited me about new
areas of research. Also,
the way in which material must be considered for teaching causes me to refine
my own thinking about politics and to cut through unstated assumptions.
In all of my courses, I always hope
to convey that I thoroughly enjoy teaching.
I have found genuine enthusiasm to be infectious.