successful teaching #

I think a rewarding teaching career must be defined by my relationships with students. If I go through my whole career without significantly impacting my students (i.e., their lives are virtually unchanged by our time together), then I think I’ve missed something. Though, if after 30 years of teaching, I am contacted by other students (or, I see evidence of students) who share how their time with me has significantly helped them in their lives, then I think I’ve had a rewarding teaching career. I would feel rewarded extrinsically and intrinsically.

There should also be an element of improvement in the courses I teach. A rewarding teaching career should also go the other way, toward bettering myself as an educator. My courses should eventually:

• foster an inclusive environment, where all students feel seen
• engage all students, catering to their diverse preferred modes of learning
• evolve, as society changes, as the field changes, and as students change

When it comes to teaching, I think my goals and values typically reflect the idea that I am not necessarily that much different from my learners. In teaching, I learn. And, in learning, I can become a better teacher. I would feel quite validated if students are able to overcome feelings like imposter syndrome, and to nurture a personal growth mindset after our class is through. This is especially true in the Data Science field, where it’s easy to get bogged down in all the fast-paced developments in technology and techniques. If my learners can develop a thoughtful relationship with our field, and if they build the curiosity to question what they see, then I think we’ve done a good job.