MICHAEL  G.  LANYI  M.A.  B.A.  B.Sc.

Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University

8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A 1S6

Tel: (604) 630–6199  Email: mglanyi@sfu.ca

 

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Education is the pursuit of true knowledge, and it develops creativity. It should prepare students to deal effectively with the everyday circumstances of the real world. Working as an Instructor and as a Teaching Assistant for several years gave me a basic understanding about college students. I know that they are all adults and should be treated with respect. They are mature and capable individuals who can make their choices. Every one of them has unique talents and experiences. My goal is to have empathy for my students and the difficulties many of them encounter in the process to become educated.

Learning is living, and living is learning. Therefore, it is important for the learner to participate actively in the process. It is my job to engage all the students in participation. I not only need to provide the new information, but also try to facilitate critical thinking and building a bridge with outside world.

The instructor is there to give knowledge to the learners, to help and encourage them, to re-explain what they might not understand, to inspire them with confidence to be able to work through their assignments, to prepare them for their exams by answering all of their arising questions. An instructor should be available for outside classroom help if that is necessary.

The teacher's behaviour during lectures and office hours influences the students' mood, receptivity and motivation. If the instructor feels enthusiastic about the material that teaches, the learners will feel keen and interested about the topic. I believe in giving my students good examples and models rather than criticizing their own work.

When it is necessary I feel free to engage students' senses in the learning process. Last semester I taught an evening class, and one rainy night noticed that the concentration of my students lapsed a bit by the end of the first hour. I decided to do something extraordinary in order to make them feel focused again. Therefore, I did jump up on the table in a second, and wrote the next formula on the board from there. Everybody became wide eyed and alert again. Another time, when I have got many questions involving the same topic from several students, I felt the need to prepare a different approach for the next class and start again the same discussion from scratch. Finally, everyone got the essence of that lecture; they just needed a fresh angle to look at that specific model from.

I should also never forget that the type of assessment - exams, tests, assignments -also influences the students' learning and involvement. I do make up my own exams therefore, not relying on the convenient sources from the internet or the writers of the book, but on the exact material I have communicated to my students.

My role involves setting the right scene for learning by providing the right opportunities both in and outside the classroom. The classroom atmosphere should be relaxed and participation needed to be encouraged. Since I am the instructor, I must set the classroom "tone" in everything from my dress to the way I present myself. I must appear to be knowledgeable, but also approachable.

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