My teaching interests include
Microeconomics, Cross-Section and Time-Series Econometrics, Labor, International Economics, and Macroeconomics. Below, I
list the classes I have taught in the Economics department while at the University of Georgia.
Spring 2009
-present - Economic Development of the US (Independent and Distance Learning)
Summer 2008 - Principles of Microeconomics
Spring 2008 - Principles of Microeconomics
Summer 2007 - Principles of Microeconomics
Teaching evaluations can be provided upon request.
Statement of My Teaching Philosophy
As a PhD candidate I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach undergraduate classes in Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. These teaching experiences have helped me crystallize my teaching objectives. As an instructor, my objectives are to facilitate learning; teach intellectually sound and fundamental concepts; help my students develop capabilities in critical thinking; and apply the fundamental concepts learned in class to real-life situations. My responsibilities as an instructor to facilitate learning are to organize the course well, be well prepared, answer questions clearly, be available for consultation, stimulate interest and grade exams fairly. By the same token, I expect my students to take responsibility for their learning by coming prepared to class attending class regularly, completing their assignments by the deadline, and participating actively in class activities and discussions.
Creating a safe and lerning environment
I strive to provide my students with a comfortable learning environment that is interactive in which students are encouraged to participate actively. In the first class, as I introduce myself and my interests, I ask my students: “What does economics mean?”. I ask them to write down their major and their prior exposure to and understanding of economics. The answers to these questions enable me to evaluate and calibrate the level of the class. Thus I can adjust the point from where I begin teaching concepts in economics. I also indicate to my students that I am approachable and always willing to assist them both within and outside of class to help them through the course. This first interaction with students helps build a good rapport and assures students that I will make their learning experience useful and memorable.
Fostering learning and critical thinking
To achieve my teaching objectives I use a variety of teaching methods. As I teach concepts and models I use graphs to help my students visualize these concepts, as well as numerical problems to illustrate certain concepts. At the start of every class I usually begin by recapitulating concepts I taught in the previous lecture. This connects my lectures and refreshes the students’ understanding of the concepts. From my point of view, learning comes by doing. In addition to homework, I use quantitative exercises, experiments, games, and classroom discussions to integrate the course content and enable and engage students in critical thinking. I often draw on real-life situations to illustrate key concepts, selecting examples that students can easily identify with in their day-to-day lives. I ask related questions that help them conceptualize, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information impartially. I use group exercises because this stimulates constructive discussion and an exchange of ideas. While I regularly set up problems or examples for discussions, my students know that they will have to help me solve them, and I often use volunteers to work out the problems on the board. This not only promotes active learning, but it also assures students that their contributions to the class are highly valued.
Assessing learning and teaching success
I assess my success with my teaching objectives by evaluating my students’ learning outcomes through graded assignments after every chapter and in-class exams. I create questions that are descriptive, require application of the concepts taught, and encourage problem solving. This kind of assessment helps me test whether my students understand and apply the economic concepts learned in class, and more importantly whether I was successful in achieving my teaching objectives. Both self-assessment and constructive feedback from my students and teaching advisor help me grow constantly as a teacher. Teaching brings me great satisfaction, especially when I see my students get excited about economics. Teaching gives me confidence that I understand my subject well, while it also forces me to stay up to date.
