Michael Strawser
College of Arts and Humanities
Philosophy

Year Awarded: 2007

Teaching Philosophy

Three goals that are central to my overall teaching philosophy are energy, respect, and edification.

Energy: I believe that a good teacher should be dynamic, enthusiastic, and passionate for the subject, very knowledgeable and competent in communicating his or her knowledge. These are properties that I strive to emulate. I deem a class most successful when the discussion of the subject matter has become so intense that no one wishes for it to end, and that it resonates in the students’ and my minds long after the class has ended.

Respect: All true education and edification (or Bildung, which captures the meanings of both words) is based on respect. There are several ways that I try to respect my students. First, in order to facilitate a more authentic dialogue, I learn the names of the students in the class, whether they are 150 or ten. Second, I respect the students' ability to learn by only reading primary philosophical texts. It is important to have high, but realistic expectations of the students, and through encouragement and instruction lead them to a level of learning that they may not have thought was possible. Third, I respect students by letting them have a significant voice in the class. This is done by allowing students' own interpretations of the course material initiate critical discussions (which can be achieved using a variety of methods), and also by carrying out an anonymous evaluation of the course early in the semester (usually after a month) so that appropriate adjustments can be made if they would benefit the students' learning. Another way of respecting students is by allowing them to cooperate and create the course content itself, which has been successfully achieved in my collaborative courses.

Edification: I think a good teacher should be able to meet learners where they are at individually, and I believe that a good teacher should be edifying in both a Kierkegaardian and Rortyian sense. With regards to the former, one should start with a foundation of love or genuine concern for the individual learner. With regards to the latter, one should strive for authentic discourse or communication which keeps the dialogue going, open, in development. In general, I believe a good teacher remains open and is continually changing-as flexibility and variety are key factors in learning. When one strives to achieve these goals, not only will the students learn better, but the teacher will as well.