My Personal Teaching Philosophy: A First Draft…
It’s all about the “A-Ha!” moments for me as a teacher. When I see students who are struggling initially finally “get it”, or the more advanced students say, “Wow! I didn’t know I could do that with this software!” I know that all of my work has paid off. I have learned that these are the moments to cherish, because not many students express any gratitude for all of my hard work. And, truly, that’s OK with me. I doubt I thanked my college professors much, if at all either. As a college student, I thought I was there to be taught what I needed to know to be an interior designer…open up my head and pour in the knowledge. Now, as an educator, I see the role of the student as an active participant in the learning experience. As the educator, I see myself as a facilitator of that experience.
“Tough, but fair.” This is how a student recently described me as a teacher. I do not disagree with this statement. I do set up a strict regimen on day one for late assignments (which are not accepted) as well as several other rules that one must abide by to succeed in my course. I do this because I feel it is important to prepare my students for that ubiquitous “real world.” In the field of interior design, not meeting a deadline is costly. Not dressing appropriately for a client presentation means your firm might lose out on a multi-million dollar contract. I would rather students learn about personal responsibility and accountability in my classroom than experience professional culture-shock in the workplace. I think the “…but fair” comes into play in the fact that I will be flexible and understanding if the situation calls for it. Within reason, I can make accommodations for students who have issues that might cause them to encounter challenges that could impede their success in my courses. Students come to know that they can trust me to, at the very least, consider their request or problem before I offer up a decision that they ultimately, may or may not agree with. I understand that not every situation is black and white, and sometimes I need to work with the shades of gray to help my students succeed.
Throughout the semester and continuing through their tenure as students in our program, I develop mutually respectful relationships with my students. I believe this is a critical component to creating the interactive, challenging and fun learning environment that I strive for. A sense of humor and sincere enthusiasm are other critical elements to create this environment. I strive to be the same person inside and outside of the classroom, and a sense of humor is a big part of my personality and how I relate to people. I attempt every day to share with my students my enthusiasm for teaching and for the subject matter of my courses; after all, I truly love what I do.
I make an effort to be a role model inside and outside of the classroom. I share personal stories, when appropriate; about special projects I am working on or personal interests I am developing to show the students how to be a well-rounded individual. And, if nothing else, to demonstrate that yes, even though I am their teacher, I am a “real” person too!
Even though I am not currently practicing interior design, I am active in my professional association, demonstrating my value of life-long learning and networking as well as my passion for the profession as whole. I engage students in many of these professional activities, frequently mentoring them in student leadership roles and introducing them to my network of professional peers. Even after students graduate from our program, I keep in touch with many of them, mentoring them in their transition from student to professional.
Ultimately, when my students walk across the stage at graduation I want them to be excited that they are beginning a career that will offer them challenging opportunities for continual growth and learning. I also want them to recognize that they have me as a life-long mentor and resource for that journey.
Whew...that was hard. Now I can go back to watching Conan.
