My Teaching Philosophy-2002


My teaching philosophy was written first in 1992 following a summer spent at Argonne National Laboratory.  The summer of 2002 I got to spend a week at Fort Collins, Colorado, grading AP Calculus exams.  That gave me some new insight into ways I could be doing things better as a teacher.  



My selection to grade AP Calculus tests in summer 2002 reminded me of many truths that I was already aware of, but which were not high in my thinking.  I'd like to share some of those here.

Timing:  I was reminded of the timing of God's work.  I was actively investigating a different summer possibility when this opportunity came up.  The other possibility would have been really a stretch for me as I was not really qualified to pursue that avenue.  This opportunity was one for which I was VERY well suited and one at which I did quite well.  On returning home, the Sunday School lesson that Sunday seemed directly related to my experience in Colorado.  The three points were perspective, purpose, and choice.  I saw my experience in Colorado as teaching me something in each area.

Perspective:  It is good to step outside my "comfort zone" every so often to gain new perspective on my comfort zone.  It was also helpful to see the questions posed on the AP Calculus exam and see the thinking behind the writing of the question and its grading.  This was a challenge to me to put more thought into the questions I ask-what am I hoping to see about the students' learning?, what is important, less important in this question?, have I prepared the student to be able to answer the question I am posing?

Stepping outside my comfort zone is also good to remind me of how students, especially new freshman feel on coming to SBU (or any new school).  They are moving outside their comfort zone of high school where they have spent four years developing their identity and they come to a new place without that identity and with the challenge to form a new identity.  They are faced with new challenges:  who do I eat meals with?, am I doing the work (both in quantity and quality) expected of me?, which of these new faces can I trust as a friend?

Purpose:
It was good for me to talk with various other university and high school math teachers about our particular challenges.  It reminded me of the purpose God has for me at SBU, working with prospective math teachers and other math majors.  With any job there are times that seem more boring or more challenging than others.  Knowing the purpose behind the job is helpful in perservering through those more trying times.

Choice:
Talking with various other university and high school math teachers about our particular challenges reminded me that we all have choices to make.  It is very easy to just take for granted the position you are in and not really think about the choices that are involved daily in this position.  But I am here by my choice (and God's choice for me as well).  Rather than complain or grow frustrated when things aren't going as well as I would hope, I can choose to improve the situation or at least my attitude concerning the situation.

This web page is produced by the Mathematics Department at Southwest Baptist University. It was created Augsut 20, 2002, by Dr. Kevin W. Hopkins and will be periodically updated by him. Questions/Comments can be sent to him . 

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