Teaching Philosophy

 

Dr. Prior’s

Teaching

Philosophy

• As a teacher, my main goal is to help students reach course objectives so they attain learning goals for this part of their educational journey. This also helps the school because we want a level of excellence in each course for outcomes and student experience.
• I do not think that “toughness” is the mark of a great teacher; instead, the mark of a great teacher is about effectiveness.
• Successfully working with diverse populations means that we are respectful and professional with all students. Also, because learning styles vary and students have ever-changing needs, sometimes we need to offer extra advising and/or alternative assignments. 
• Classes and individual students have changing needs. Teachers should stay in touch with these needs. For example, while ALL students benefit from unconditional respect and honest feedback, some students need a softer delivery or more encouragement. Other students, like some of the high achievers in graduate school, might be more demanding at times, want deeper explanations, or desire advanced options for a lesson. 
• A teacher should always read the class and then follow various appetites or interests (while connecting to course content). For example, while teaching about ethics in organizational behavior, the discussion led to watching short videos from the Breaking Bad TV show and a documentary about the Enron Scandal. In another class, students were interested in research related to consumer preferences and tracking apps. This class was remote and so we used “breakout rooms” to further discuss spending patterns and rewards offers by companies. 
• I believe that a professional, structured, and consistent teaching approach is a gift to students. Flexibility also plays a part because humans are not robots and every class will have a different vibe. 
• While I have a serious approach to facilitating courses (so each class excels to help students meet all objectives), I also use humor and art to infuse the classroom and to uplift students while learning. Small extensions, like doing a three-minute hands-on activity or watching a short video, can enrich the class atmosphere and augment the learning experience.
• Student assessment needs to be done with integrity. Feedback and assigned grades should be clear without any ambiguities on what the student could do to improve the grade. Using rubrics, clear lesson objectives, and providing assignment samples can help “all” students succeed.
• Teaching in Higher Education is meaningful because students are earning more than just a degree. They are being sculpted and infused so they can enjoy each course and then take their learning into the workforce and make the world a better place.