Maria Tarafa Philosophy of Teaching September 6, 2006.

My philosophy of teaching is that students are first. I will do whatever is in my power to facilitate their learning so that they get the most out of my classes. I believe in being very fair with all of my students and do not show any preferential treatment to any, yet strive to make them all feel special.

I think that information which is conveyed to students during class needs to be presented in a clear and concise manner so that they are able to grasp the concepts. I also like to relate information to real life situations as much as possible so that they will be more interested in the subject and to help them recollect the information later.

Even while doing my best to cover all the material associated with a given class I make sure that the students understand the topics being presented before moving to the next topic. I do so by asking questions during my presentations, and I also make sure that I do sufficient exercises so that they not only get the theory, but also the practice.

I encourage my students to participate in class and to ask questions whenever they have any doubts or need clarification. I never consider any of their questions inadequate, on the contrary, I never think that any question should be beneath them to ask, no matter how elementary. If you don’t get the foundation it is hard to build on it.

I like to be sympathetic with my students so that they feel comfortable talking to me, but at the same time I make it clear that deadlines have to be met and that the only way they will do well in the class is by coming to class, being attentive, participating, and spending sufficient time doing exercises, reading the book, reviewing, etc.. I am available to help them whenever they need additional help and encourage them to come see me if they need to.

I like to keep them aware of their progress in the class by being prompt with my grading and providing their current averages to them so that they feel more secure if they are doing well or realize they need to work harder if they are not.

I summary I have a passion for teaching and like to convey that to my students and do what I can for them to be successful.