Teaching Philosophy

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ? William Arthur Ward

In my point of view, teaching is an art. Everyone cannot become a good teacher as everyone cannot become a good painter. I have a passion for physics, and the urge to inspire others into learning the subject, as well. Hands on experience and practicality are my strong points, right from the beginning. This is the reason that I became an experimental physicist. Students can learn and understand the concepts in a better way, only if the theory is supported by physical evidence. My main focus is to combine the theory and the experiments in such a way that the course becomes both interactive and interesting. Students should be able to understand that the laws of physics are not just theory, but they also give birth to new inventions.

My teaching experience started in high school, where I used to teach my classmates some of the difficult concepts, which they were unable to grasp. I worked as a teaching assistant and an adjunct lecturer during my graduate studies. Currently, I am teaching physics at a University. During my teaching experience, I learned that many students face difficulties in physics only because they are not very good at mathematics. My aim is to make the students more comfortable with mathematics; so that they are able to enjoy the subject.

My primary objectives, while teaching, are to help the students understand the fundamental concepts of physics with the help of experiments, reduce the fear of mathematics, enhance the problem solving capabilities of the students, and to cultivate an overall curiosity in science.

One of the primary skills of a good teacher is that he/she engages students in a positive manner. The more involved students will remain in a class, the more likely it is that they will grasp the concepts. In my class, I encourage asking questions, and try to keep involving the students throughout the lecture so that they remain focused. Many students do not ask questions, only because of the fear that their questions might be stupid. In order to tackle this problem, a supportive and friendly environment is established in the class. I also encourage students to seek my help outside class or after class.

During my graduate studies, when I was instructing the undergraduate lab courses, I realized that the ...