The Teaching Statement on My Syllabus

This class will be a mix of lectures and discussions. I do my best to include as many students as possible in discussions. I try various strategies to elicit participation. Knowing students' lives are busy and complicated, I try to be understanding and flexible. I treat students with respect. I’m not perfect. I make mistakes. I always try to get better at teaching. I value punctuality and consistent attendance. I don’t usually police use of devices—but I ask that you be considerate of everyone in the classroom and to please avoid distracting from the learning environment. To be honest, it bothers me when students use laptops for things other than taking notes—it’s a major distraction to students and me. But, I don’t try to ban phones and other devices. I believe there are times that devices can help the learning process. In conclusion, I’ll leave it to you to decide what you do with your devices—however, please be courteous and mindful of the situation. Aretha Franklin provides the perfect guide: R-E-S-P-E-C-T