Statement of Teaching Philosophy
I have two major goals as a political science instructor. First, I believe it is vital for students to not only understand basic political facts, but to learn how politics is relevant regardless of their major. Second, I believe students should know how to be independent thinkers.
The challenge of teaching political science in the community college system is that the department often serves a diverse set of majors. As a result, many students enter the classroom with varied interest in the subject matter. To reach students at all levels of interest, I will connect any abstract ideas in class back to current events. For example, when discussing campaigns, I had my students form groups and I showed them videos from the 2016 election. I asked the students to analyze the differences in Hillary Clinton’s message, during the primary, before and after the rise in popularity of Bernie Sanders. In the ensuing class discussion, students were quick to realize the effect one candidate can have on another candidate.
I believe in trying to make teaching as interactive as possible. This includes discussion topics that provoke debate and analytical thought. Discussions are crucial in getting students to form their own opinions on issues and start to consider how they can affect a situation. In most instances, as students begin to form opinions, they start to think about the topics with a deeper understanding of how it can affect their individual lives. I have found that some students are reluctant to participate in discussions. When I encounter this problem, I adjust my teaching methods to engage students. The most successful adjustment I have used is to break the class into discussion groups, and ask them to discuss an opinion-based question relevant to the material. This method increases class participation and allows students to be analytical thinkers. One question that has always been successful in sparking debate and getting an entire class involved is: Did the founders mean to include African Americans and Women in the phrase “All Men are created equal?” I use this as a debate/discussion topic every semester.
Another method of participation I used recently was to break students into groups of ten, and have each group create a list of the top five television shows of all time. The entire group had to agree to the list, which made the task rather difficult. Students ran into several issues, such as generational gaps and the extent of television knowledge. The purpose of this exercise was to introduce students to some of the challenges that Congress faces in the legislative process. Group discussions foster conversation and allows students to express their ideas with their peers in a low risk environment. Once group discussion has subsided, I ask the groups to present their ideas to the class. This often livens up the discussion and provides participation from students.
It is my goal to develop students beyond my class. I believe that it is important for students to walk away from Political Science with an understanding of civic duty, an understanding of how and why government is structured in certain forms, and an ability to analyze and formulate opinions of literature and ideas, both in politics and general academics. I am constantly looking to improve my methods and evolve my own understanding and education to better serve the students in my classroom.
N.J. Zappia 