IdentityAs a scientist, I am by nature curious about the natural world and academe offers me an excellent opportunity to cultivate this curiosity in others. My teaching interests are influenced by several factors including my philosophy of teaching and learning, my past mentoring experience, my desire for knowledge and my exact area of expertise.
To me, learning is an active and inherently personal two-step process. The first step involves understanding, evaluating and accepting or rejecting new information. The second step consists of the assimilation of newly admitted knowledge into each's conceptual framework so that it can be used to solve problems. It is the role of a teacher to facilitate the learning process by 1) providing an atmosphere that promotes student motivation and participation 2) providing an appropriate example to demonstrate concepts, 3) supporting discussion through questioning, 4) providing materials and feedback that reinforce the learning process. In return, I expect my student to be prepared for each class, tolerant of other views, willing to participate in the discussion and work hard.
However, through my educational experiences, I have been able to
deal with life's challenges by developing an identity and personal philosophy based on
persistence.
Some of my teachers and mentors nurtured the interest that I have in science, in particular. They have influenced me significantly and helped shape my life into what it is today. It is, therefore, my hope to pass on this legacy and influence to those who I will have to teach.
My teaching will reflect my rich personal experiences as a lecturer (on CHB in Swami Vivekanand Jr College ) and doctoral fellow at Tata Memorial Centre for over two years. One of my overall goals is to develop in the student's inquisitiveness and a life long interest in science. I will also seek to impress upon them that learning does not stop after graduation but merely changes form.
I use methods of cooperative learning that focuses on collaborative learning and group
dynamics. I encourage students to participate directly and personally in the learning process and to share their experiences and thoughts with others for them to better retain the material.
My goal in research and teaching is to fulfil my dedication to my academic fields. More
specifically, I hope that my published works, ongoing research projects and my educational activities are practical steps toward the achievement of this goal.
Students will differ in their maturity, motivation, future dreams, reasons for enrolling in the class, the level of effort each of them is willing or able to put into the course as well as differences in family, social, economic and academic backgrounds. As a result of these differences, each of my class will begin with an assessment of the students to determine some of this diversity. These expected differences will undoubtedly pose challenges, but I believe the best approach is to let all characteristics of each class decide the final teaching format of mine.
My teaching style and lesson contents will also change with the technological developments of our times as well as changes in the future job market of my students. I will give the students as many opportunities as possible to have hands-on experience as well as first-hand look at practical applications of the lessons to be taught. The approach that I would take for graduate students is to emphasise the research application of the experiences that I will explain. I will bring to their attention any new developments or drug discoveries or adverse effects and the factors that contribute towards it. I will keep myself updated on the latest developments in the field by
organising journal clubs or participating in existing ones. The knowledge gained will be
incorporated into the courses I teach.
In summary, the combination of my teaching experience and record, the keen interest in
teaching, international background, crossing cultural boundaries, diverse academic
experience and intense training in science and research will enable me to effectively and successfully teach graduate and undergraduate courses in life sciences.
