Teaching Philosophy
Esse Quam Videri
The motto of the State of North Carolina means
to be rather than to seem
I hope to help the students become people who can actually do something rather than remain people who seem to be able to do something.
To achieve this, I want to structure the environment so that the students spend as much time actually doing things as they do listening or reading about doing things. I try to give them enough to do that they develop a sense of confidence in their own ability to do things independently. So far, the courses I have taught have been tailor-made for this goal, but I think any course I might teach could be so structured as to permit the students to do things that will make them able to do newer things. My goal is to make them independent thinkers.
To that end, I give them a lot of leeway, a lot of rope. I am ready to help them pull on that rope, to help them succeed in their growth. But that rope has more than one purpose. On the affirmative side, it is a rope to pull themselves (with my willing assistance) up to the goal – "to be rather than to seem." However, the rope can also be connected to a weight. They can pull themselves to the goal or I can help them, but if they don't pull their weight, my help cannot make up for that lack of effort.