Teaching is my lifelong passion. I strive to help students build foundations of knowledge and develop their critical thinking skills in a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment. To achieve these goals, I use various pedagogical methods shaped by my CARE approach, consisting of Clear explanations, Active learning, Real-world applications, and Effective assessments.

I believe that knowledge will be constructed and not simply absorbed when students fully understand course content. To ensure that students gain a deep understanding, I provide very clear explanations of the material with well-prepared examples and make excellent use of visual aids. In particular, my use of whiteboard is easy to follow. By drawing graphs one step at a time and then explaining them (rather than drawing and explaining them all at once), I allow students to understand the concepts easily. In addition, the information contained in my slide presentations of each lecture is always concise, organized, and clear, helping reinforce the subject matter. All of my teaching materials are posted online to facilitate students’ learning process. 

Despite efforts to engage students in constructing knowledge, I note that some of my students often memorize terms and graphs for an exam, without critically analyzing the material themselves. To support critical thinking, I incorporate active learning into my lesson plans.  For example, I always encourage discussion and group assignments in class. Discussion will not only engage students from diverse backgrounds and experiences in thinking critically about the material but also enable them to learn from one another, promoting a diversity of perspectives.

Additionally, I provide students with opportunities to explain the solution on the board in order to build problem-solving and communication skills. When responding to students, I am always respectful and positive, even when the student is incorrect. I believe this creates a safe and welcoming atmosphere where students are comfortable communicating while showing that I value their input and learning. As a result, this approach will promote student active participation and ultimately better understanding.

Another significant way to foster knowledge construction and critical thinking skills is by encouraging real-world applications. As every economic model is a simplified description of reality, it can be well observed in the real world. Therefore, my lessons combine issues of student interest, current events, case studies, and real-life situations, allowing students to apply course material to the real world. 

To motivate students to synthesize and demonstrate what they have learned, I use multiple avenues of effective assessments, including exams, individual and group assignments, impromptu quizzes, and self-tests. While the testing process is essential to measure student learning and ability to apply the material, questions that simply ask students to recall facts without assessing them critically are not helpful. I place an emphasis on short-answer and essay questions in exams. This format not only tests students’ knowledge but also encourages them to present their analytical and explanatory skills. 

The effort devoted to improving my teaching has been far more rewarding than exhausting. Throughout my teaching career, my students have responded well as I have provided equal learning opportunities and cared about their success. I pay personal attention to each student and give them every opportunity to be successful. When teaching a night class, I make myself available on campus an hour ahead of the class to accommodate many of my students who work full-time. When teaching a three-hour class, I switch between lectures and other activities every 20 minutes to regain student attention and engagement. While the traditional lecturing approach works effectively for many students, I vary in-class activities to reach other students with different learning styles. The pace of my teaching takes into account the bottom students of the class while upholding challenges for others. Maintaining flexibility in my lessons enables me to be responsive to students as well as to enhance diversity and inclusion in the classroom.

However, there is always room for improvement when it comes to teaching. I look forward to continuing to use my CARE approach and real-world experience together with feedback from students to create a more engaged and effective learning environment for the benefit of all students.