Teaching Philosophy
Trina Smith, PhD

 During my first year of college, I took Introduction to Sociology. Years later, I remember this course not only because of the concepts I learned, but because of a material artifact I kept from the course:  a collage I made on how women were presented in the media. The assignment may not have been novel, but a pedagogical function of the assignment resonates with student learning and is an important element of my teaching philosophy. The assignment enabled me to create knowledge and realize my own analytical skills. As a sociology instructor, I strive to foster student learning by inspiring students’ sociological imaginations and promoting them to be life-long learners. This includes not only becoming critical consumers of information, but also for students to realize their own analytical aptitude and their ability to be producers of knowledge. I enact this through the essential elements of my teaching philosophy. These include viewing the classroom as an interactional setting, showing my enthusiasm for the course, acknowledging students’ experiences, giving students the tools to engage in sociological learning, and being a prepared and flexible instructor. This has been cultivated through diverse instructional experiences and works across a variety of settings. I have been teaching since 2004, and I have taught a wide range of classes to a diverse array of students at a variety of institutions, in both large and small class formats and in-person and on-line.   

I strive to provide a safe and supportive classroom environment. Such an environment rests on the idea that teaching is an interactional process where teaching and learning occurs both by the instructor and students. Thus, learning best occurs when there is mutual respect between  the instructor and the students. I outline this expectation through my syllabi and through example in the classroom. To develop confidence in students’ analytical abilities, I have created assignments that affirm students’ experiences by highlighting their reasoning and voice through applying course concepts to their experiences and other sources of data. When students feel like what they know matters, they are more likely to engage in the class and subsequently remember the concepts in the future. By building upon the respect between students and myself, I am also able to promote students to think about where their ideals about the social world stem from and to understand diverse perspectives. I have also developed interactive in-class activities, catering to different learning styles, in which students can share their material and which cater to different learning styles. These activities enhance students’ communication and interaction skills by having the students use sociological concepts to ask questions of each other.

In order for students to develop sociological insight, they must be provided with a foundation. Thus, I begin each course by discussing the tools sociologists use including sociological concepts, theory, and methods. This stems from teaching experiences in which students lack understanding of what sociology is and how sociological concepts and theories are developed based on scientific standards. By beginning the course with this, I insure, at the least, that students have a basic understanding of essential sociological ideas that are foundational to the course. I also provide exercises and assignments through which students are able to sociologically examine course materials and their own experiences and hence utilize these ideas.

Importantly, it is critical to show my enthusiasm for the course. If I am not excited to be there, why should they? I have a passion for teaching and sociology, which my students have positively noted in my course evaluations. My passion promotes students to think about why the course and its information matters. As my students have commented, my passion and enthusiasm inspires them to be eager learners in wanting to come to class, participate in class, complete course assignments, and to carry forth the knowledge they learn to other courses and their future careers.

In pragmatically implementing and evaluating my teaching, I give forethought to my classes and provide structure, but I am also flexible in addressing students’ concerns, needs, and interests.  I am clear and specific on my grading policies and class expectations and I use a variety of activities and exam formats to respect different learning styles.  I assess my teaching through students’ perspectives using both midterm and end of the term student course evaluations.  I also evaluate students’ understanding of course materials through frequent assignments and course discussions. If something is not clear, I can address this in class, work with students who are struggling, or provide further resources. In addition, by setting a respectful tone in the classroom, I have opportunities to talk individually with students about the course. I also asses my own teaching as I reflect on what worked, what did not, and what I can do to improve for each class session and course. By being structured, yet flexible I am able to tailor my courses to students’ interests, learning abilities, and previous sociological background in order to enhance student learning.

I have found these elements co-exist with each other and support successful learning. I set high expectations for my students and provide them with the tools and support needed to reach these. By building students’ analytical skills and allowing them to assess their own experiences, students are able to carry forth sociological insight as they interact with the diverse world. In return, I feel inspired by what I learn from my students and their accomplishments both inside and outside my classroom. Thank you cards, notes, and evaluations from students telling me I changed their lives and inspiredthem encapsulates the meaning of my work as a teacher.