Personal Narrative: My Goal As A Teacher

My primary goals as a teacher of communication are to (a) ignite students’ passion for and interest in the study and practice of communication, (b) provide students with both theoretical and practical knowledge, (c) help students connect their learning in the classroom to the real world, and (d) push students to think critically and creatively about communication.

In all of my teaching experience, undergraduate and graduate alike, I have tried to keep one thing in mind: a good teacher is a good storyteller. As a former journalist, I firmly believe in the power of stories to engage, inspire, and motivate my audiences to act. My storytelling in the classroom has involved three elements: make it relevant and interactive, bring in real-world

For instance, I employ LAMS (Learning Activity Management System), an innovative e-learning system in my classes to create sequences of learning activities. Before coming to class each week, my students are required to watch a short animation that shows a specific case or situation relevant to that week’s topic. Then they participate in a poll that asks their opinions about the given scenario. I use students’ responses as a foundation for discussion in the class. Then the students are asked to conduct online post-class activities that wrap up important concepts that we learned in class. I have found that this approach fosters active consideration of the topic by students, as well as encourages students to construct their own understanding of the issues before and after each

For instance, some students believed that I rushed through the material and did not spare enough time for discussion. Also, I have occasionally been told that my voice is soft so it does not quite fill a large lecture hall. I have worked diligently to address these points, and I expect the quality of my teaching to continue to improve.

I have been developing and improving my teaching philosophy for over a decade. Since I first began to tutor and mentor middle and high school students as a college freshman, teaching has been an important part of my life. What I set out to do as a teacher is to help students see their world in new ways, and think about the world differently. My ultimate goal is to prepare students to live as informed participants in democratic society, conscious citizens of the world, and future leaders and innovators in the field of