IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, I HAVE TAUGHT AT TRINITY COLLEGE AS A TEACHING ASSISTANT FOR VARIOUS COURSES, ATTENDED BY PHILOSOPHY AND SCIENCE STUDENTS. THE CLASSES RANGED FROM THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY (EARLY MODERN, KANTIAN AND POST-KANTIAN, ANALYTIC) TO METAPHYSICS, PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS OF SCIENCE, AND PHILOSOPHY OF MIND.
MY APPROACH TO TEACHING IS CENTRED AROUND THE STUDENTS. THE AIM IS NOT TO IMPART NOTIONS BUT RATHER TO LEAD THE STUDENTS TO REFLECT WITH THEIR OWN MINDS ON PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS. TO THIS END, I ASK MANY QUESTIONS - SOME EASIER, SOME HARDER. THE QUESTIONS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE RHETORICAL (INDEED, THEY HARDLY EVER HAVE JUST ONE POSSIBLE ANSWER); RATHER, THEY ARE OPEN-ENDED. THIS SPARKS LIVELY DEBATES AMONG THE STUDENTS (WHICH TRIGGER MY OWN REFLECTION TOO, AND FROM WHICH I END UP LEARNING AS WELL!)
ONCE THE STUDENTS ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY CONCEPTUAL TOOLS TO ADDRESS A GIVEN PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM, I ACT AS A MODERATOR OF THEIR DISCUSSION, TO ENSURE IT IS ALWAYS CONDUCTED FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY. I ENCOURAGE (THOUGH NEVER IMPOSE) ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY EVERYONE, AND USE DIALOGUE AS AN AID FOR LEARNING.
AT THE END OF EACH CLASS, I ALWAYS RESERVE 10 MINUTES FOR A CREATIVE GROUP ACTIVITY, WHICH FURTHER FOSTERS THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AMONG THE STUDENTS. THESE ACTIVITIES MAY INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS AND ROLE-PLAYING. THEY ARE DESIGNED SO THAT THE STUDENTS MAY REFINE SUCH SKILLS AS UNDERSTANDING, IMAGINATION AND EMPATHY. I BELIEVE THESE SKILLS TO BE INDISPENSABLE NOT ONLY FOR A SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC LIFE BUT ALSO FOR A MORE FULFILLING HUMAN LIFE.
MY APPROACH TO TEACHING IS CENTRED AROUND THE STUDENTS. THE AIM IS NOT TO IMPART NOTIONS BUT RATHER TO LEAD THE STUDENTS TO REFLECT WITH THEIR OWN MINDS ON PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEMS. TO THIS END, I ASK MANY QUESTIONS - SOME EASIER, SOME HARDER. THE QUESTIONS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE RHETORICAL (INDEED, THEY HARDLY EVER HAVE JUST ONE POSSIBLE ANSWER); RATHER, THEY ARE OPEN-ENDED. THIS SPARKS LIVELY DEBATES AMONG THE STUDENTS (WHICH TRIGGER MY OWN REFLECTION TOO, AND FROM WHICH I END UP LEARNING AS WELL!)
ONCE THE STUDENTS ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY CONCEPTUAL TOOLS TO ADDRESS A GIVEN PHILOSOPHICAL PROBLEM, I ACT AS A MODERATOR OF THEIR DISCUSSION, TO ENSURE IT IS ALWAYS CONDUCTED FAIRLY AND RESPECTFULLY. I ENCOURAGE (THOUGH NEVER IMPOSE) ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY EVERYONE, AND USE DIALOGUE AS AN AID FOR LEARNING.
AT THE END OF EACH CLASS, I ALWAYS RESERVE 10 MINUTES FOR A CREATIVE GROUP ACTIVITY, WHICH FURTHER FOSTERS THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AMONG THE STUDENTS. THESE ACTIVITIES MAY INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS AND ROLE-PLAYING. THEY ARE DESIGNED SO THAT THE STUDENTS MAY REFINE SUCH SKILLS AS UNDERSTANDING, IMAGINATION AND EMPATHY. I BELIEVE THESE SKILLS TO BE INDISPENSABLE NOT ONLY FOR A SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC LIFE BUT ALSO FOR A MORE FULFILLING HUMAN LIFE.