Teaching Domain and Philosophy

Max Duroseau,
Textile and Apparel Management, University of Missouri-Columbia

Conceptualization of Learning and Teaching:

Over the years, I have been fortunate to find my voice as an instructor while working with students of all ages. I have taught early childhood, middle and high-school students, college-age students, and adults. I’ve also taught English as a foreign language while abroad. These years of teaching experience combined with my own story as a student have been critical in shaping my approach toward education. As a student, my highest academic experiences were connected to resource-sharing mentors who were passionate about teaching, as well as subjects that enlarged my understanding of the world. These experiences have had a direct impact on the attitudes and beliefs that I hold about learning and teaching. I believe: passion for learning comes from within, learning is effective when positioned as relevant and meaningful, learning is optimized when disciplinary lines are crossed, and kindness facilitates learning. These beliefs inform my perspectives on teaching and take the form of four value-based tenets. These tenets state that teachers should:

1. 1. 1. 1. Inspire students to partake in their own learning outcome
         2. Help prepare students to engage the working-world
         3. Include ideas and concepts from beyond their classrooms
         4. Be gentle when instructing students to reduce fear-based behaviors

Thus, my teaching philosophy can be summed by the following: teaching is an evocative performance that mixes charismatic charm and interdisciplinary application, to promote critical thinking among student-learners.

Implementation:

While in the classroom, discussions while be the primary mode for learning. In addition to periodic exams and other output measures, mastery of course-content will come from engaging openly in class discussion. These discussions will take the form of case studies, class debates, opinion polls, trivia, and film-viewings etc. The objective is to encourage students to expand their worldviews through exposure to different thought ideologies. I believe strengthening the critical brain through healthy dialogue will promote civil discourse and help to produce intellectually well-rounded individuals.

Secondly, emphasis will be paid to developing working-world skills to increase future employability. This will be done by crossing disciplinary lines within the classroom. In the working-world, jobs are rarely self-contained, and workers from different departments frequently cross-pollinate to complete their various objectives. Likewise, students will be assigned tasks and projects that occasionally require outside knowledge in order to complete. Inclusion of software such as Office and Adobe Suite programs will be embedded into coursework to give students a simulated “on the job” experience, with the intended goal of increasing employability and job prospects.

Third, I will provide opportunities to blend creative expression with scholarship. This will be accomplished through careful curation of creative job posts within the textile and apparel industry, as well as their required skills. Key aspects from these postings will be integrated into the curriculum to create assignments that are relevant to the industry. Examples of such integration will include visual design work, photography, branding and inclusion of various design software. This expression will create a holistic learning environment that appeals to left and right-brain oriented students within the discipline.

To continue, the importance of global citizenship was impressed upon me as a student. It will therefore be a recurring theme in my class in two ways: a) an international/multi-cultural perspective will be included on select topics as part of discussion and b) the value of sustainability and social responsibility in business will be explored. Examination of such themes will shed light on the intersectionality between people and geography through the lens of product and supply chains. Lastly, theories on sustainability will be covered.

Finally, I plan to create a learning safe-space by managing the atmosphere in the classroom. I believe deeply that two essential dimensions are needed to create spaces that are conducive to learning: joy and grace. By designing atmospheres that are happy (joy) and forgiving toward perceived failure (grace), the teacher empowers the student to become their own agent for growth and development. One way I plan to achieve this is by leveraging my personality to intentionally lower the mental inhibitions of my students. In my experience as a student, fearbased behaviors such as procrastination could be mitigated with sufficient awareness and tactics of self-kindness. It’s important to not only facilitate learning but also inspire confidence. This is likely to have a ripple effect and cause students to be more receptive to the information presented to them. Therefore, students will be encouraged to speak in class without fear of judgement since professionality, courtesy, and respect will be demanded of all who enter my domain. For students in need of additional support, I will make myself accessible via email and in-person during office hours. Opportunity will be available for students that fall behind who demonstrate earnest and a desire to complete the course. In this way, I will create an atmosphere that rejects the notion of shame and allows for students to thrive both within and beyond the classroom.