Teaching
Teaching Philosophy
"The aim of the college, for the individual student, is to eliminate the need in his life for the college; the task is to help him to become a self-educating man."
- C. Wright Mills
As a teacher, my primary concern is teaching students to think – not what to think, but how to think. Everyone thinks; but not everyone thinks critically. I define critical thinking as the ability to judge the validity and utility of statements that are presented for consideration. The consideration of facts and information requires reflection and judgment, without which there may be costly repercussions. This is why the practice of critical thinking connects to a higher moral purpose; our thinking and actions affect others. Thinking is like any other art: it must be taught and practiced. Learning is an on-going teaching enterprise, and teaching students how to think enables a lifetime of learning.
