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When I was a senior in college I enrolled in Introductory Political Science to complete a long neglected requirement and ensure my timely graduation. The professor of the course was well known on campus as a demanding professor who challenged his students to achieve more than they thought possible (which is why he liked to teach freshmen). I remember him looking at me very sternly, demanding to know why I should be admitted into an intro-level course. He listened as I explained my situation, paused, and declared "O.K., you get a 'B'."
"Excuse me?" I asked, a bit confused.
"You get a B. You are a senior in an intro course. You come to class, you get your assignments from me, you participate and you get a 'B'." He replied.
That semester, I found Intro to Political Science to be my toughest class. I was given special assignments, extra reports to complete and it seemed as if every paper I completed required revision. I was pushed, challenged and pressured all semester. The end of the semester came and I received my final grades just after graduation. I did not have to look, but I did. I earned a B. Yet, it did not seem important anymore.

As a teaching philosophy, this anecdote is scarcely sufficient. However, I reveal this because it speaks to the kind of teacher I aspire to be. The wisdom I gained from this experience is that learning often occurs in unexpected ways. While I approached this introductory class as a requirement, an obstacle to my graduation, it also taught me a great deal about myself. This obstacle was key in developing the teacher, the student and the human being that I am today.

I aspire to be a teacher who challenges students to leave each class better than they were before, regardless of the subject or level of instruction. I aspire to teach introductory and advanced courses with the same intensity and focus. Moreover, I aspire to learn from the students in my classes as they learn from me.

I am a teacher of theater: acting, directing, theater history, dramatic literature and dramatic theory. The teaching of theater is especially challenging given the multiple facets that demand our attention. The teacher of dramatic art must strike a balance between the theoretical and the practical, the historical and the contemporary, while also encompassing both the academic study of and the practice of theater. In entering the classroom, it is not my sole intention to produce young actors, directors or theater scholars. Rather, I hope to open up a deeper understanding of individual life and perspective based on the art form that I have chosen. I find relevance in the theater not only as an art that should be propagated through study, (although I certainly do encourage it.), but rather as a way of opening up students to a variety of experiences and perspectives that serves to augment their education regardless of their chosen field. It is my goal and my aim to produce educated human beings that, through their involvement in my classroom, develop skills in independent thinking, critical reasoning, written and verbal self-expression and respect for differing points of view. I hope to facilitate students in becoming who they are as human beings.

I have been exceptionally fortunate in my education to have remarkable teachers who have instilled in me the importance and the privilege of the classroom. In the classroom, teacher and student--equal participants in the learning process--are given the opportunity to aid each other and challenge each other in mutual education. This environment renders the classroom a kind of sacred space. I offer a classroom where students are encouraged to openly express and discuss their ideas and participate in molding their own educational experience. I promote individual responsibility for learning while providing guidance and support through classroom activity and discussion.

It is my responsibility as the instructor to provide a suitable environment for interactive learning and to inspire students to take an active self-interest in their own education. I achieve this task by creating an environment of discussion and intellectual rigor with the students on the first day of class. Each class begins with a question that serves as a touchstone for that session's intellectual or practical inquiry. Through specific questions and by building on student response, I set a foundation for the exploration of class material and concepts in an interactive manner. Exploration ranges from small group work and peer instruction to class discussions and lecture. Early on, I vary my methodology in order to find the right mix for a particular class, based either on course material or class personality. I also encourage students to think pedagogically about their own learning and their interest in a particular course. I have found that students respond most actively when course material relates to a particular aspect of their interests. As such, I offer guidance and support in finding a personal connection to class material.

I expect students to demonstrate individual responsibility by actively preparing for each class through reading and research. Through careful preparation, students not only gain more from class material, but also have more to share with the other participants in the classroom. The diversity of students in the classroom brings a multiplicity of experience related to course material. I encourage each student to share and discuss their individual perspective and contribute to the whole class. I foster discussion and individual contribution in class by gearing assignments and projects toward a more general focus, which gradually narrows for each student depending on their particular interests.

As an instructor, I also seek to make the best use of information technology as a supplement to classroom instruction. As students become more technologically savvy, it is up to instructors to maintain an open approach to technology and its uses in the classroom. While I do not believe that technology can replace the classroom, I do believe that it can enhance learning within the classroom. To achieve this, I make use of technology as a supplement; through the development of course web pages, the use of digital media, and by consciously making technology a question for the class to ponder. For example, I usually require an essay using traditional sources and research methods and another essay using only digital technology as a way of highlighting the strengths of each approach.

Regardless of the subject I am teaching, I continue to return to the anecdote above as a source for my own educational inquiry. Am I treating my students as individuals with specific educational needs? Am I bringing the subject matter to them in a manner that encourages intellectual and practical rigor? Am I contributing to their growth (and my own) as human beings? These questions center my teaching methodology and define my role as an instructor.