Teaching

Good teaching encourages students and gives them the opportunity to think independently and critically. Students should learn to question the material and interpretations they are presented with, while retaining new information, concepts and ideas. I aim to encourage students to be stimulated by and find enjoyment in their learning. I strive to bring out the best in every student by being aware of the variety of learning styles that students have, as well as any special needs that must be accommodated.

In all my courses, I make use of available technologies that can assist students with different needs and learning styles. For example, in large lecture-based courses, I have provided:

• Audio recordings of lectures (for English-language learners and those with processing difficulties).
• Images and videos (for visual learners).
• Online quizzes and online discussion (to allow students to closely engage with the information and to reinforce learning).

I try to integrate such technologies seamlessly into the course and to not use them as add-ons.

Students of all ages arrive at UOIT with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and bring to the classroom many different life experiences that should be acknowledged—if not explicitly, than implicitly—by treating the students and their ideas with respect. In my lectures and class discussions, I attempt to model respect for cultural and religious beliefs, while engaging in critical analyses that demonstrate how different world views and beliefs can change interpretations and understandings of social issues. I also believe I can learn as much from the students as they can from me.