Teaching Philosophy
I base my teaching philosophy on two principles: (a) active student learning strongly influences outcomes, and (b) the instructor's interaction with students outside of the classroom is essential for their development. It is also an opportunity for me to grow as a teacher by learning from my students about improving my teaching style and delivering materials in the course to make it more accessible to a diverse group of students. I have incorporated elements of bell hooks', a renowned feminist black activist and professor, engaged pedagogy. This quote guides my teaching,
To educate as the practice of freedom is a way of teaching that anyone can learn. That learning process comes most accessible to those who teach who also believe that there is an aspect of our vocation that is sacred; who believe that our work is not merely to share information but to share in our students' intellectual and spiritual growth. To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin (hooks 1994, 13).
To implement these principles, I use the following techniques:
Active Student Learning and Evaluation
To encourage active learning, analytical thinking, and the respectful exchange of ideas, I ask students to respond to and evaluate their colleagues' arguments by relying on a set of guidelines given to them at the first session. I ask students to thoughtfully assess other students' opinions by relying on diverse theoretical concepts and methodological tools. While designing and teaching my courses, I attempt to expose students to multiple perspectives on political issues such as security and terrorism. I combine traditional theories and feminist perspectives concerning security, terrorism, and other political issues in my syllabi. For example, in my course Citizenship and Terrorism, after introducing students to traditional theories of terrorism, I combined feminist and conventional perspectives on the issue.
Instead of moderating and modifying a student's comment in the class discussion, I will ask other students to respond. This encourages the exploration of allegations and their structures of reasoning and evidence in a conversational manner. This strategy's positive effects are consistently visible in students' analytical essays, where evidence shows them grappling with arguments from various perspectives. However, my larger goal is to teach students how more massive sociopolitical structures need to be understood to explain more minor phenomena, cases, and behavior. For instance, it is essential to understand the relationship between globalization, inequality, and terrorism. I encourage students to use their newly found "toolkit" not just in the classroom but in everyday life: What is the underlying mechanism? How can we better ascertain if my beliefs regarding this question are correct? I always ask the students to take a step out of their own lives and notice the structures of powers surrounding them and influence how they view the world.
Interaction with Students Outside of the Classroom
Finally, as an instructor, I believe that it is essential to dedicate ample time outside of the classroom to help students work through material that they find difficult or confusing. While my teaching style works for most of my students, it might be challenging for some, especially in a big classroom setting. My own experience as an international student in the United States who had to navigate the American academic system with its various challenges equips me to assist international students in navigating the classroom and making the best of their US experience. In addition, I have taught courses with international students with language barriers and lack of familiarity with the American system and first-generation college students who need help navigating the academic environment. I found in these cases that dedicating time to them outside of the classroom to address their academic challenges is essential to their success. By providing an environment for students to work through lost points in translation, I encourage them to perform at their full potential.
Furthermore, it is crucial to encourage students to come for extra help throughout the semester. Throughout my teaching career, I have found that a subset of students do not feel comfortable approaching an instructor with questions and inevitably fall behind. That is why I encourage students to email me to schedule a time to meet for more feedback on their work before and after the assignment due date. This will help improve the quality of their work for this course and future courses. By actively encouraging students to seek help outside of the classroom, one can reduce this tension, allowing them to get the help they need. As part of my engagement with students outside of the classroom, I write letters of recommendation for students when needed. In addition, I am willing to provide feedback on their resumes and explore study abroad and internship options with them.
Diversity
My commitment to diversity guides my teaching and mentoring, both inside and outside the classroom. In designing my introductory and advanced courses, I ensure that my syllabi are inclusive by integrating work produced by scholars from the Global South, women, and other marginalized groups. Including their work exposes students to various views and highlights the work of scholars who challenge dominant views. Additionally, to ensure the participation of underrepresented students in my classes, I make sure to learn students' names and identify their strengths and weaknesses by engaging them in activities, online and in the classroom, that require everyone's contribution. In small class settings, I ask students to introduce themselves, provide feedback on each other's work, and cooperate on special projects. In a larger classroom setting, where it is hard to dedicate time for each student's contribution to the class, I encourage students to reach out to me after class or during office hours to talk about any challenges they face and how we can remedy them.
Moreover, I share my experience as a minority student in Israel and an international student in the US to make them comfortable sharing their challenges with me and asking for advice. My experiences with mentoring and teaching international students, first-generation and non-traditional students, students with learning disabilities, students with mental health issues, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds have made me aware of the varying and often intersectional needs that exist across an institution's diverse student population and the necessity to take these into account. I support them in the best ways possible, by informing them of free on-campus tutoring, mental health, LGBTQ, and disability services, by making them aware of financial aid packages or finding alternative routes to acquiring textbooks, by not automatically assuming certain kinds of knowledge in advance, and by maintaining reasonable, fair flexibility with regards to deadlines, when crucial to students' success.
These techniques will help me achieve my objectives as a professor. These objectives are as follows:
I base my teaching philosophy on two principles: (a) active student learning strongly influences outcomes, and (b) the instructor's interaction with students outside of the classroom is essential for their development. It is also an opportunity for me to grow as a teacher by learning from my students about improving my teaching style and delivering materials in the course to make it more accessible to a diverse group of students. I have incorporated elements of bell hooks', a renowned feminist black activist and professor, engaged pedagogy. This quote guides my teaching,
To educate as the practice of freedom is a way of teaching that anyone can learn. That learning process comes most accessible to those who teach who also believe that there is an aspect of our vocation that is sacred; who believe that our work is not merely to share information but to share in our students' intellectual and spiritual growth. To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin (hooks 1994, 13).
To implement these principles, I use the following techniques:
Active Student Learning and Evaluation
To encourage active learning, analytical thinking, and the respectful exchange of ideas, I ask students to respond to and evaluate their colleagues' arguments by relying on a set of guidelines given to them at the first session. I ask students to thoughtfully assess other students' opinions by relying on diverse theoretical concepts and methodological tools. While designing and teaching my courses, I attempt to expose students to multiple perspectives on political issues such as security and terrorism. I combine traditional theories and feminist perspectives concerning security, terrorism, and other political issues in my syllabi. For example, in my course Citizenship and Terrorism, after introducing students to traditional theories of terrorism, I combined feminist and conventional perspectives on the issue.
Instead of moderating and modifying a student's comment in the class discussion, I will ask other students to respond. This encourages the exploration of allegations and their structures of reasoning and evidence in a conversational manner. This strategy's positive effects are consistently visible in students' analytical essays, where evidence shows them grappling with arguments from various perspectives. However, my larger goal is to teach students how more massive sociopolitical structures need to be understood to explain more minor phenomena, cases, and behavior. For instance, it is essential to understand the relationship between globalization, inequality, and terrorism. I encourage students to use their newly found "toolkit" not just in the classroom but in everyday life: What is the underlying mechanism? How can we better ascertain if my beliefs regarding this question are correct? I always ask the students to take a step out of their own lives and notice the structures of powers surrounding them and influence how they view the world.
Interaction with Students Outside of the Classroom
Finally, as an instructor, I believe that it is essential to dedicate ample time outside of the classroom to help students work through material that they find difficult or confusing. While my teaching style works for most of my students, it might be challenging for some, especially in a big classroom setting. My own experience as an international student in the United States who had to navigate the American academic system with its various challenges equips me to assist international students in navigating the classroom and making the best of their US experience. In addition, I have taught courses with international students with language barriers and lack of familiarity with the American system and first-generation college students who need help navigating the academic environment. I found in these cases that dedicating time to them outside of the classroom to address their academic challenges is essential to their success. By providing an environment for students to work through lost points in translation, I encourage them to perform at their full potential.
Furthermore, it is crucial to encourage students to come for extra help throughout the semester. Throughout my teaching career, I have found that a subset of students do not feel comfortable approaching an instructor with questions and inevitably fall behind. That is why I encourage students to email me to schedule a time to meet for more feedback on their work before and after the assignment due date. This will help improve the quality of their work for this course and future courses. By actively encouraging students to seek help outside of the classroom, one can reduce this tension, allowing them to get the help they need. As part of my engagement with students outside of the classroom, I write letters of recommendation for students when needed. In addition, I am willing to provide feedback on their resumes and explore study abroad and internship options with them.
Diversity
My commitment to diversity guides my teaching and mentoring, both inside and outside the classroom. In designing my introductory and advanced courses, I ensure that my syllabi are inclusive by integrating work produced by scholars from the Global South, women, and other marginalized groups. Including their work exposes students to various views and highlights the work of scholars who challenge dominant views. Additionally, to ensure the participation of underrepresented students in my classes, I make sure to learn students' names and identify their strengths and weaknesses by engaging them in activities, online and in the classroom, that require everyone's contribution. In small class settings, I ask students to introduce themselves, provide feedback on each other's work, and cooperate on special projects. In a larger classroom setting, where it is hard to dedicate time for each student's contribution to the class, I encourage students to reach out to me after class or during office hours to talk about any challenges they face and how we can remedy them.
Moreover, I share my experience as a minority student in Israel and an international student in the US to make them comfortable sharing their challenges with me and asking for advice. My experiences with mentoring and teaching international students, first-generation and non-traditional students, students with learning disabilities, students with mental health issues, and students from low socio-economic backgrounds have made me aware of the varying and often intersectional needs that exist across an institution's diverse student population and the necessity to take these into account. I support them in the best ways possible, by informing them of free on-campus tutoring, mental health, LGBTQ, and disability services, by making them aware of financial aid packages or finding alternative routes to acquiring textbooks, by not automatically assuming certain kinds of knowledge in advance, and by maintaining reasonable, fair flexibility with regards to deadlines, when crucial to students' success.
These techniques will help me achieve my objectives as a professor. These objectives are as follows:
- To ensure that students learn the materials covered in the courses I teach.
- To foster critical thinking skills.
- To facilitate the acquisition of lifelong learning skills.
- To help students examine political issues from various theoretical and methodological perspectives.
- To apply the concepts learned in the classroom to everyday political affairs.
- To equip students with the theoretical and methodological tools to express controversial opinions respectfully.
- Most importantly, to create an inclusive environment for learning.