A Chinese proverb says, "Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand." I am a teacher who does not believe he can teach anyone. What I can do, however, is to make students yearn for learning, to engage students in the subject so much that they will want to get the knowledge and master the skills on their own. At the end of the semester, I often evaluate my success not by the amount of "A" grades students have earned, but rather by the amount of students who want to work in the profession I have taught them about. Most of the classes I teach are interactive - in-class deliberations, online discussion boards, group case studies, and brainstorming activities have an ultimate purpose of keeping students involved. Whenever possible, a class has a real client (or clients) students work for in groups or individually. It builds a link between students' education and real world professional activities they need to get prepared for. Guest lectures by professionals serve the same purpose. My teaching philosophy, then, is this: "Lecture me and I forget. Quiz me and I remember. Engage me and I understand." |