Teaching

As an international student and scholar, my teaching philosophy has been formed by the diverse teaching approaches and knowledge-transferring methods I have been exposed to in higher education both in my home country and in the United States. One of my critical observations is that instructors who maintain the desire to learn and improve their teaching methods can motivate the students to further explore subject matter beyond what is planned in the curriculum. Guided by this notion, I make conscious efforts to be engaged in lifelong learning, including continuously keeping up with contemporary research, discoveries, and fresh perspectives in the scholarship of teaching and learning. As a recreation and leisure teacher and scholar with an emphasis on Recreational Therapy (RT), I intentionally create an environment for students to experience professional growth and develop a deep understanding of the field. Focusing on the student-centered teaching/learning approach, through my previous experience as an instructor, I have recognized the importance of creating an atmosphere where students are taught that to err is human. Furthermore, I tend to accentuate the importance of critical thinking to support students’ intellectual growth while encouraging self-reflection to foster their personal growth. These traits are to be found at the very core of my teaching philosophy.