Teaching philosophy

I would classify my approach to teaching and assessing as being in alignment with cognitive – constructivist learning theories, with an emphasis on the social aspects of learning. Zimmerman (2013, 6) describes these as “a socially mediated experience where individuals construct knowledge based on interactions with their social and cultural environment. Thus, as posited above, my teaching methods draw on the three components highlighted above: the individual student, the process of constructing knowledge, and the social and cultural environment in which all of this occurs.  This view of teaching draws on a range of teaching approaches, and as such, I use group work, case studies, interactive lectures, projects, tests, presentations, field trips, guest lectures and games as part of my instructional and assessing tools.  

My aspirations as an educator is to infuse a curiosity in my students that will extend beyond the material and content we cover in class, and will cause them to ponder over everything they encounter in life.  I want them to constantly be asking why is this the way that it is and how can it be improved.  I want them to love learning, and to love using what they’ve learnt to improve the lives of those around them.  I want them to realise that education is a life-long journey, and none of us, not even me as their lecturer, has arrived.  In the same breath, none of us is without something to impart to others. 

I hope to teach my students to be critical thinkers who will constantly challenge what is going on in their field and be at the forefront of proposing new ways of thinking and being.  I also hope to encourage them towards a path that combines practice and research so that they excel at the craft of journalism, and also become pioneers that take the field forward in leaps and bounds.