Teaching Philosophy
My philosophy of teaching evolved from a very short period of teaching experience when I was working as Research Associate in the Department of Textile Engineering, Daffodil International University. It gets much clear to me when I attended a session on teaching philosophy and pedagogical methods conducted by respected Dr. Mohammad Salehuddin, Former Pro-Vice Chancellor and Managing Editor of Daily Star. Throughout this little experience, I found that my mission as a teacher is threefold:
- to promote positive learning;
- to spark learner's enthusiasm for learning and
- to provide a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
My move from research to academic setting was motivated by a desire to teach. My interest in teaching comes from my own positive experience during my undergraduate study and from a love and desire for learning.
As an Educator in the field of Textile I have the following views in teaching:
How do I think learning occurs?
I believe that students learn when they are exposed to different ways of understanding the material. I think most students gain little from the testing process. They learn better and have a greater sense of accomplishment through the completion of complex projects that consolidate large areas of the material being covered.
How can I facilitate this process? How have I come to these conclusions?
I am very much a person who learns by doing and I believe that many people interested in clothing and textiles are similar. We have a very practical, technical approach to the subject area. For this reason I really emphasize projects that incorporate large portions of the coursework.
What goals do I have for my students?
I want my students to leave my classes more “awake” than when they came in. My students tend to be those who are interested in clothing, textile science and retail merchandising and they frequently have an idealized and simplistic view of what it means to work in those fields. I want them to question the ethics of the this industry. This does not mean that I want them to go out there and dismantle the fashion industry. I want them to understand that we can change it and make it a better service to people.
What do I do to implement my plans/intentions?
I have a lot of enthusiasm for clothing and textiles. I want my students to realize the extent to which textiles and clothing are a part of our lives. I want them to feel my enthusiasm and my commitment and to carry that forward in their own work. I try to create enthusiasm by using lots of visual media, especially slides from recent development . With these tools I can ask them to critically analyze the content, as well as the meanings associated with that. I make their thoughts and opinions a big part of the class, with special emphasis on having the students think about why they feel a specific way and clearly articulating their explanations.
I see teaching as involving a reciprocal relationship between teachers and students. I believe that teachers have duties to their students and that students also have duties to their teachers. Therefore, because of the reciprocal nature of the duties between teachers and students, I believe that it is a fundamental mistake to see students as customers or as clients because such a view incorrectly implies that the primary duties in the relationship are the teachers' duties to the students and virtually ignores the duties of students to their teachers, fellow students, and themselves.