Prof. Moses Kwadzo

Teaching is one of my major lifetime careers. As a teacher, teaching provides me with exciting opportunity and experience to help learners develop their own intellectual potentials. My few years of teaching experience, participation in teaching mentorship and methodology workshops have revealed to me that certain instructional philosophies can promote effective teaching and students quickly develop their intellectual abilities. Effective learning occurs when students are motivated, provided with the necessary supports, valued as persons, and a conducive learning environment is provided. At the beginning of each course, the goals of specific courses are well spelled out in the course syllabi, and I try to stick to the course objectives. I also set process objectives including active class participation, reading of required textbooks, class attendance, and group projects in order to achieve the stated course objectives. Adults learn best when they are provided with conducive environment. I incorporate different teaching strategies. It is true that a particular teaching strategy can be ineffective for some lessons. I tend to be flexible with the choice of methodology and employ specific teaching strategies that suit particular lessons. Lecturing is not the only way to teach. Sometimes, lecture is the appropriate teaching method and at other times class discussion is more appropriate. The different class activities including discussion of reading assignments, presentations and group discussions make the class more interesting, less stressful and boring. Building a rapport between the teacher and students can increase students’ willingness to learn. I strive to establish a rapport with my students to make them feel more comfortable to approach me and to participate in class. I memorize and call my students by names. The dividing line between teaching and research is very thin. I believe that teaching and research should be integrated, especially in graduate level courses. While I believe I have the natural flair to teach, teaching is a continuous learning process, and I remain to learn to improve my teaching strategies.