Teaching Philosophy
Win Everham 1/20/04

I have taught for more than twenty years in a variety of environments, at levels from elementary school through graduate education. These experiences have brought me to several conclusions about the process of education. First, I believe with enough time and resources that nearly any student can be taught any subject. Second, teaching is a complex process with a multitude of possible methodologies to apply. The art of instruction is exemplified by a successful matching of technique to the subject matter, the goals of instruction, and the characteristics of the students. Finally, teaching is most effective when students are actively participating in the process.

Teaching is facilitation of the transfer of knowledge. Teaching fails not when the student is unable to acquire the knowledge, but when we as teachers are unable to identify the student's needs and the barriers to the transfer of the knowledge. I know the realities of education in the United States are often marked by lecture courses and large classes which make individual contact with all students impossible. I approach this problem in three ways. First, I make every effort I can to be available to my students for individual attention. Second, increasingly I am integrating computer technologies such as email to create virtual educational environments to stimulate more individual communication, both between my students and with me. Finally, I try to maintain a mix of my teaching and advising responsibilities so that I have a small group of students that I work with individually on special projects. I often find this type of teaching the most rewarding.

I think one of the principal problems of university education in the United States is the lack of preparation of our instructors. Generally we assume that mastery of a subject guarantees the ability to teach that subject. The result is instructors who teach only the way they were taught, leading to a downward spiral of decreasing options. I like the analogy that teaching is like shooting an arrow at your students. The hardest part is selecting the right arrow from your quiver, because different subjects, different topics, and different students need different arrows. Unfortunately, many instructors have only one arrow. Throughout my career, I have been involved in developing programs for in-service training of instructors and I would like to continue these types of activities.

Participatory learning is sometimes viewed as a distinct methodology. I prefer to view it as an underlying principle for all types of effective instruction. I view participation as active interest rather than passive reception. Even in large lectures there is room for some forms of participation. Lectures can be very efficient means of instruction, getting the most material to the greatest number of students in the shortest time, but only if the students actually receive the knowledge. Participation helps the instructor gauge the success of the instruction and the student internalize the material. In a more specific sense I think participatory methods where students are involved in a hands-on activity, are generally the most effective means of instruction. I try to bring as many of these types of situations as possible into my teaching.

I truly enjoy teaching. When it works, a classroom can be a wonderful place to be. It is extremely rewarding to facilitate learning, to know that your efforts have had an impact on another person. I am pursuing a career as a university instructor because I want to continue to be a teacher and also have the opportunity to explore my research interests.

Return to Home Page