TEACHING STATEMENT
Growing up in a family of educators, I have learned the importance of education and teachers' roles in shaping one's life. Moving to the U.S. for my undergraduate without having any relatives or knowing anyone in the States, my teachers were my mentors, friends, motivators and supporters. Having served as a teacher myself in various positions and with my ultimate goal being to continue serving in higher education, I strive to be the kind of teacher that can help my students in the same way that my teachers have helped me.
After graduating from college, I realize that while college has prepared me and other graduates with journalism skills, we will still lack skills to navigate interactions with colleagues and managers, or negotiate toxic environments, etc. My own research on media management has also shown me the disconnection between managers and journalists, and how journalists do not receive the support and resources they need while carrying out their duties. Thus, my teaching philosophy is built on what I can bring to my students to fill in the gaps that exist between college life and professional life. My students will not only learn about the good side of journalism, but they will also know about what challenges they will need to face. In my teaching, I will equip students with enough knowledge and reasoning to set their boundaries on what they can do and what they are not comfortable with doing. Instead of following the same formula, students should be aware of all options for their journalism practices, be able to choose what works for them and then defend their choices.
My sole viewpoints might not be as helpful as those who are actively working in journalism and its related communication industries. I also recognize I can also learn from my students. To help students explore their options for best practices, I create a welcoming classroom environment where each one can share their opinions without judgment. I want my students to learn from the viewpoints from not just the media but also different fields related to media, such as public information officers, local politicians, etc. by bringing different guest speakers to class. With the field of journalism changing every day, it is important for students to keep up with technology, trends and other skills that they might need in the future.
I am inspired by one of the contributors of a book called “Ungrading” (Kohn & Blum, 2020), which talks about a new method to assess students besides using letter grades. While I still believe that grading is necessary to assess students' performance, I think that quality feedback plays a much more important role in learning. As a teacher, I provide students with as much positive reinforcement and in-depth feedback as I can. Even with an A-grade assignment, students can still learn what they can do to improve their work in the future. I also believe that learning is an ongoing process and effort is what can lead to success, therefore I will give students an opportunity to improve their work (and their grade) after receiving my feedback. Students should learn that there is always room for improvement and do not need to worry that one mistake can “ruin” their education or their career.
Being a very shy student who often found myself struggling to share my thoughts in class, I greatly appreciated what one of my teachers had us write about ourselves on the first day of class so that she could learn about each of us. I firmly believe that it would be helpful for teachers to get to know their students, thus I always try my best to be more relatable to my students. Growing up in Vietnam, where it is the belief that students’ primary job is to study, I had originally entered education with the conviction that there should be no excuses for underperformance. However, having received overwhelming support from teachers, I now understand all the pressures a student needs to face while going to school and how significant of an impact a teacher can make. I will create a learning environment where students feel like there is someone to listen and support them. The ideal image of a teacher for me is not just one who shares their knowledge in class, but one that can become a resource for students not only when they are in school, but also later in their professional life. It is a very hard goal to achieve, but I want to try my best everyday to become one.
Kohn, A., & Blum, S. D. (2020). Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead). West Virginia University Press.