V



Tailor Made Teaching

Don A. Habibi

Department of Philosophy & Religion

1. Educational background: a personal note

I have been a teacher for most of my life, and I have taught students from diverse backgrounds and age levels in a range of contexts and settings. I began my formal teaching career in a public elementary school and a private junior high school, both in Los Angeles. These experiences brought me enthusiasm and ideas as well as serious frustrations, and I sought to study educational theory to develop my understanding and make a contribution by teaching teachers. This aim led me to enroll in the graduate program in Philosophy of Education at Cornell, where I took over 20 education courses, earned a Masters degree, and served as a Teaching Assistant for an educational psychology course. I also taught Physical Science and World Religions at a maximum security prison (the Men's Correctional Facility at Auburn, NY). Upon receiving my doctorate in Philosophy and Philosophy of Education, I served as a visiting assistant professor at three very different institutions. I taught Education courses at Ithaca College. The luck of the job market was such that I then had philosophy positions at the California State University at Fresno (1986/87) and at Pomona College (1987/88). I joined the UNCW faculty in 1988. In seventeen years here, I have witnessed a steady, dramatic, progressive improvement of our learning community. This is a direct result of the caliber of our increasingly serious students, staff, faculty, and administration.

My areas of specialization in the department of philosophy and religion are defined as social/political philosophy, ethics, and jurisprudence, and I maintain a close connection to educational theory, both in scholarly research and service to my profession. I helped found, and I serve on the Board of Directors of the Association for Philosophy of Education (a member organization the American Philosophical Association). In the past, I made contributions to philosophy of education journals and published articles elsewhere dealing with making curriculum more efficacious. My approach to teaching is thus based on a foundation rich in theory and practice. Theoretically, I am guided by an extensive familiarity with the academic study of educational foundations (i.e., history, sociology, psychology, and philosophy of education). I am also grounded by a practical appreciation of the activity of teaching that is shaped by twenty-five years of classroom teaching experience in a wide variety of settings. In each venue, I have adjusted my teaching skills and methods to accommodate different teaching challenges. I have learned that students have different backgrounds, needs, personalities, and ways of learning. I have done my best to teach effectively as many students as I can reach.

Good teaching stems from being an avid learner, and entails sharing one's knowledge and experiences. Beginning a new position entails new preparations and intensive course development. It is hard work, but an important investment in one’s teaching repertoire, and the intensity eases over the semesters. But do not become complacent and over-rely on the efforts made at the entry level. Keep your teaching fresh and up to date. Strive to be a scholar not just for your specialized research but also for the sake of your teaching. It is essential to maintain a commitment to a lifetime of learning. This involves not only the academic task of study, but of living life with a frame of mind that is constantly learning, growing, and giving.

2. Sizing up ones students and establishing goals:

When designing and planning courses, it is imperative to assess who one’s students are and to establish attainable goals for the semester. It may be obvious, but some professors do not do this. Many new faculty, coming from major research institutions, overestimate their students. Many faculty (old and new) lose sight of the student-centered approach to course design. They prefer instead to base their courses on their own interests, agendas, or unique ideas of what a particular course must cover. Of course, this is not necessarily problematic. It is good to have enthusiasm for what one teaches and there is nothing wrong with holding our students to ambitious standards. I believe that effective teaching is a two-way street, and success requires realistic expectations. We must accommodate ourselves to the needs of our students and never lose sight of who we serve and why we are here. Our challenge is to educate, prepare, and inspire our students to learn more.

Philosophy differs from many other subjects in that there is no set curricula. Much is at the discretion of the instructor. In some other fields (e.g. science and foreign language), some courses are part of a sequence and students are expected to reach a certain level of proficiency by the end of the semester, in order to go on to the next level of the sequence. In such instances, the goals of the course are already established. In philosophy, there is no set curriculum or expectation of what needs to be covered in an introductory course. The lack of consensus in my discipline gives me the freedom to design exciting courses. When I teach my basic studies philosophy classes, my working assumption is that the students are not particularly interested in philosophy. They have a basic studies requirement that they must fulfill. The likelihood is that this is the only philosophy course they will ever take. My goal is thus to capture their interest in the subject enough to have them take more courses in philosophy. I have the good fortune of serving alongside some great teachers in my department, so I see my role as part of a team effort to recruit majors, minors, and other serious students for more advanced courses.

In my upper level courses, I assume that that my self-selected students are serious and willing to invest their energies in working hard toward developing their reading, writing, and analytical skills. My goals are to prepare them for further work in the field, and at the same time, to help give them the tools to understand the world and become productive, successful citizens. My courses are designed to provide as rich an educational experience as possible. I try to assess my students’ needs as well as their weaknesses and strengths and design my curriculum with this in mind. A constant problem in both my lower and upper level courses is that I must pitch to a wide audience. I cannot accommodate everyone. Some students require introductory and remedial attention. Others come to class with strong academic backgrounds. This often entails compromises. If I cater to my top students, the majority are likely to lose interest. If I focus on my struggling students the rest of the class will likely become bored. I usually pitch to the middle, and when the need arises, I spend time outside of class working with my weakest as well as my strongest students. In addition, it is helpful that UNCW provides free tutoring for students in basic studies courses. In additon to working with my struggling students, I also refer them to the Learning Center. (In additon to the general basic studies courses covered by the Learing Center, there is also the Math Lab and the Writing Place to help students in those areas.) Finally, I happily point out that each year UNCW admissions becomes more selective and we are recruiting better prepared students.

3. Sizing up oneself and developing a teaching style:

Having delved deeply into philosophies of education, I know that no one teaching style or theory provides all the answers or works best. Just as there are a variety of learning styles among our students, there are numerous effective teaching styles, methods, and techniques. Thus, there are many ways to succeed as an educator. It is therefore advisable to step back and consider what combinations work best for us as individual instructors.

Among the incoming faculty, some come with little teaching experience and others come with a great deal of it. All come with extensive experience as students. We have learned from teachers who were strict disciplinarians that ‘ran a tight ship,’ as well as teachers whose classrooms were free and open. Some teachers were models of organization and clarity—while others kept us guessing and made us figure things out as best we could. Some teachers were distant and others were friendly. These different styles all have their place.

As I mentioned above, some styles appeal to certain students and correspond to their learning styles. There is no quick way to assess accurately what works best for which students. For example, even my students who are Marines at Camp Lejune respond well to my (relatively) friendly, open, and free teaching style. I assume that some of my Marines might respond better if I yelled at them like their Drill Instructors—but that is so far removed from my own teaching style that it is not an option for me. I know that most students prefer organized instructors. This is a goal I work toward, and well worth my concerted efforts. (It is much easier for me to be well-organized in my basic studies courses that I teach repeatedly than it is for me to organize my upper level courses which I teach much less frequently.) The task at hand is to discern what styles and techniques fit our own personalities as teachers.

Whatever our individual personalities and teaching styles may be, there are some useful guidelines we can all follow that transcend our differences:

--Two classic quotations are most apt: “Know Thyself” (inscribed in the wall at Apollo’s shrine at Delphi) and “To thine own self be true” (a quote from Polonius to his son Laertes in Shakespeare’s Hamlet). These quotes set a parameter on finding one’s own teaching style. It is natural to model ourselves after favorite teachers, but we must also keep in mind that it is easier to build on our own personalities than to emulate someone who is significantly different from who we are. A successful combination of teaching styles must be authentic to us as individuals.

--Passion for the subject matter: Nothing is more infectious and contagious (in the positive sense of these terms) than enthusiastic teachers who love what they are teaching. In the book, William James Talks to Teachers, James argues that, ‘a passion for the subject matter’ is what makes a teacher great. If we love what we are doing, this comes through to the students, and even the most indifferent and bored students will be affected and perhaps even inspired by a positive attitude and the example we set.

--Knowledge of the subject matter: The more expertise one has in a given subject, the more professional, thorough, and accurate the presentation. Think about how much better one can analyze, synthesize, and convey the information in an area that one actively researches. Moreover, think about how much more confident and precise we are when fielding questions in our areas of specialization. We cannot be experts in every topic we are called upon to teach. However, the more we know, the better equipped we are to present the material. As important as it is to devote time to research and publishing, it remains vitally important for good teaching to study and grow in those areas we must teach.

--Be eclectic: A multitude of educational goals among students and teachers have led me to the conclusion that the finest teachers are eclectic, flexible, willing to experiment, and energetically motivated to do their best. They must study, adjust, and adopt the most appropriate ideas to be gleaned from various educational theories and techniques. I find it highly useful to quiz my colleagues at UNCW and other universities to see what works (or fails). A useful journal in my field is Teaching Philosophy, which sometimes provides me with worthwhile ideas. Ultimately, there are numerous sources for helpful advice, innovative techniques, and effective methods to convey information to students. Striving to improve one’s teaching and attentiveness to new ideas are the hallmark of great teaching, especially for new faculty.

--Hard work and effort: There is no substitute for working diligently to improve one’s teaching. The demands on our time are extraordinary. Preparing and teaching courses, pressure to publish, and the need to do service in our department, profession, the University, and the community are enough to keep even the most efficient among us super busy—to say nothing of managing our personal lives. It is tempting to cut corners wherever we can, and sometimes teaching our classes must take a back seat to other, more immediate priorities. But to be the most effective teacher one can be means avoiding the easy path. It calls for dedication, diligence and going that extra mile. Achieving fulfillment in teaching is no different than in so many other walks of life. The more giving one is and the more one puts into teaching --the more one gets out of it and succeeds. Fulfillment in teaching is not to be taken for granted. There are no shortcuts to teaching excellence.

4. Concluding thoughts—a personal note: My approach to teaching is driven by a passion for, and knowledge of the subject matter. I try to make my classes appealing, by conveying an enthusiasm for philosophy, and relevant, by presenting my students with challenging, controversial issues that affect their perception of themselves and the world they live in. My methods are traditional. They involve lecture and discussion, and I utilize the tools of my trade--language, logic, and the treasures of philosophy, which I connect with the human condition today.

I take a genuine interest in my students. Not only do I learn their names, I try to learn whatever they can teach me. I make myself as available as I can. When invited, I attend their athletic events, concerts, theater productions, clubs, etc. I treat our students with honesty, openness, fairness, kindness, and respect. Every time I stand before my students (in and out of the classroom), or speak before a public audience, I carry with me an appreciation for the importance of what I say and do as a teacher. It is a serious responsibility and opportunity that I love. A key emphasis of effective philosophy teaching is to demonstrate different ways of thinking, in addition to presenting students with facts and information. As a philosopher, my job is to stimulate my students into thinking critically and cogently about their world-view. I raise those topics that are most controversial. I challenge them to analyze, formulate, and justify their beliefs about such crucial issues as God and religion, politics and society, ethics and how we live, and the nature of the mind, body, and knowledge. This is not a formula for popularity. Several students will be likely to find what I say new (as it once was for me), insightful (if it supports their world-view), or discomforting (if it contradicts their world-view), and will be influenced by the ideas and information I communicate. I am often fascinated when former students tell me what they remember from my class years later, and I often wonder what ideas my students will carry with them after each lecture or discussion.

A central concept that I continually allude to in my classes is that of "Becoming an Educated Person." I set this exciting adventure as our goal--as something to value and strive for throughout life. I want my students to have an awareness of their potential for self-knowledge and improvement. In each course, I build up a definition of the concept and explain its importance. My profile of an "Educated Person" includes:

--knowing how to think logically, analytically, and objectively;

--being open-minded, eager to learn, and ready to subject one's existing beliefs to critical analysis in order to revise, strengthen, or reject them;

--being worldly and well-informed over a broad array of subjects ranging from Classics to current events;

--cultivating self-awareness to recognize and refine one's talents and skills, and work on one's weaknesses;

--knowing where to go and how to obtain information;

--a command of the English language, and knowing how to articulate one's thoughts in speech, debate, and writing (e.g., I emphasize the importance of continually building up one's vocabulary, being prepared to 'think on one's feet,' and the need to practice writing);

--a familiarity with other languages and cultures (e.g., I stress the benefits of becoming proficient in another language and travel); and finally,

--appreciating the importance of cultivating oneself physically, emotionally, and spiritually--as well as intellectually. The university offers numerous facilities, programs, clubs, resources, and opportunities for developing ourselves in a balanced, integrated, and diverse fashion. I encourage my students to make the most advantageous use of their time here and prepare themselves to be growing, giving, productive members of society.

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