Statement of Teaching Philosophy
Civil Engineering is a very challenging profession and a rewarding career. I believe in my active role in preparing future civil engineering professionals well equipped with the necessary knowledge base, professional and interpersonal skills. Therefore, my teaching philosophy aims at preparing students for becoming successful civil engineers and industry leaders capable of tackling major challenges in a changing global environment.
I use a variety of pedagogical methods grounded in my beliefs about teaching and learning using my diverse and accumulated engineering experience. I utilize the Socratic- method in my classroom enabling the student to actualize self-discovery in the learning process. I encourage my students to understand the nature of learning as a life-long process that does not end with graduation. In turn, I continue to learn from the experiences and insights of my students. Rejuvenation and adaptability are core competencies for successful faculty member. My style of instruction rests on fostering self-instruction, formulating questions rather than answers, and establishing high expectations.
My teaching philosophy entails four goals:
1.To create an environment in which students learn the basics principles. As a teacher, I leverage my experience and expertise to guide the students in fully comprehending course readings and projects;
2.To encourage creative thinking after a solid knowledge foundation is in place. I use multiple methodologies to foster innovative thinking and self-discovery including team-based learning, real life applications, and case studies;
3.To incorporate the students into the learning process by serving as mentor, adviser and coach. I share my time, research interests and skills, with my students. Mentoring is tailored to the individual student because the classroom experience, no matter how interactive, will not meet the needs of each student; and
4.To promote learning is a life-long activity as I work to excite them about civil engineering future challenges through active involvement. I enthuse them with high expectations and help them meet those expectations while enabling them to do self-learning. I urge my students to be keen in considering leaning and professional development throughout their careers.
The success of my teaching philosophy and performance has been tested and evaluated in
real world applications during my long academic career. I expect my students to take key issues away from their learning experience, for example:
1.The ability to analyze, to think critically and to exercise sound professional and ethical judgment;
2.The successful utilization of engineering principles and applications into real life problems and challenges with feasible, effective and sustainable solutions; and
3.The mastery of essential technical writing, communication, and technology applications skills to be able to communicate effectively in a global and changing environment.
To encourage my students to synthesize and demonstrate what they have learned, I use performance-based assessments. In these assessments, students participate in different aspects of professional practice and projects that they will be expected to enact as civil engineers. These activities enable students not only to apply their new knowledge and skills but also to develop a sound engineering sense and professional judgment.
1-Implementing active learning techniques: My interaction with students to engage all students in the learning process through collaborative and cooperative learning among them using masterly leaning models.
2-Adopting curricular support for diversity: I am efficient in creating and adopting inclusive curricula and teaching methods that engage students from underrepresented groups. These curricula and methods of instruction for example, use carefully construed examples and metaphors that relate to the cultural background of the entire audience and not just the majority group;
3-Integrating information technology in engineering education: During my academic work experience, I strive extensively covering and integrating state of the art advancements in computing and information technology in my course syllabi;
4-Embracing a multi-disciplinary integrative approach to engineering education: The international nature of my work experience showed me that the eroding boundaries between the different disciplines including socio-economical and environmental aspects. I always expose my student to various global experience and applications in civil engineering academic, consultation and research areas.
5-Fostering communication, leadership, and research skills: The mentorship I received during my academic experience from a number of key professionals networks highlighted to me the importance of effective communication, leadership, and research skills for civil engineers. I strongly believe that the civil engineering educational process can play a very important role in developing these skills in future practitioners. Therefore, I plan on fostering these skills in my future students by mimicking real life team collaboration efforts in courses, and by tutoring and mentoring these students in both formal and informal settings; and
6-Seeking and creating strong partnerships with civil engineering practitioners: During my long academic experience I recognize the importance of involving of civil engineering practitioners in the educational process significantly enhances the pedagogical impact of civil engineering course curricula on the engineering market. The participation of practitioners broadens the spectrum of professional issues addressed by course curricula, and also gives students opportunities to experience the civil engineering practice prior to their graduation.
The above strategies for achieving the objectives of my teaching philosophy are not static pillars. In fact, in order for these strategies to succeed, they need to be continuously evaluated and revised in closed feedback cycles. The main source of feedback would be student evaluations and peers feedback.
After my than 6 years of academic career, the rewards are immense as I enjoy seeing my students as successful professionals and some of them are in leading key roles and colleagues. My teaching philosophy is defined by my belief that a good teacher is a good learner, or someone who is always seeking out ways to improve his teaching abilities, whether by accessing professional teaching resources and learning from the feedback of students.