My philosophy of teaching is to provide a dynamic classroom environment where students are excited to learn, and are encouraged to express diverse opinions and participate in their education experience. My role as the instructor is to provide students with explanation and guidance regarding the subject matter and course material. However, learning is not a passive process. Therefore, I stress to students the importance of individual responsibility for learning in the class. I want my students to feel challenged and intellectually stimulated by the subject matter and discussion.
I believe that the education environment should be conducive to learning, safe, and challenging, yet supportive. Students come from varied backgrounds with unique experiences, and should feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions freely without fear so that the whole class may benefit from different perspectives. Therefore, it is my responsibility to help students tap into their own expansive knowledge banks to find connections between their real-world experiences and the subject matter. I believe those connections will help students internalize course material.
When assessing performance, there is no one-size-fits-all standard that can be applied to all students. Therefore, I believe in implementing a variety of measurements including exams, quizzes, class discussions, projects, presentations, and papers. In doing so, students have many opportunities to demonstrate a grasp of course material.
Each class provides new challenges and opportunities for my own learning and scholarship. I aspire to create a learning environment where both the students and I discover something new and grow as communicators. I constantly strive to improve and adapt course materials so that the students benefit from the most up-to-date information. Although I want students to leave my class feeling equipped to take on the professional world, my bigger objective is to instill a curiosity and passion for learning that will inspire them to contribute to the world of communication.
Desirae Kay Johnson 