Brian Zulkoskey's Teaching Philosophy Statement
I believe that students must take ownership of learning and understanding the material that is
presented to them in their courses and laboratories.
The primary role of the instructor is to ensure that the students are provided an environment
in which learning and understanding are encouraged.
The instructor fulfills this role in a number of ways:
The instructor should stress the importance of each individual student, no matter how large
the class size. Although it can be difficult at times, I strive to always consider my students as
distinct individuals, to never treat them as a single, collective entity (‘the class’). Each student is
unique and of equal importance. The value of this principle was made clear to me in 1974 by (the
late) Dr. Ray Skinner, my professor of first-year physics. At the first class, Dr. Skinner requested
that each student submit a photo and a short biography, enabling him to quickly learn our names
so that he could personalize his discussions with us. Dr. Skinner genuinely wanted each and every
one of his students to understand, and he went out of his way to provide opportunities to gain this
understanding. Students were encouraged to visit Dr. Skinner’s office outside of class whenever
they had problems. It was Dr. Skinner’s devotion to all his students that led me to major in physics
and, eventually, become a physics instructor.
In and out of the classroom, I emphasize to my students that we are ‘partners in learning’.
Students, especially those taking physics after having been out of school for a few years, often
feel intimidated by the course content. I try to make all my students feel as comfortable as
possible – encouraging questions and comments in class and replying to those questions seriously
and politely no matter how trivial the question or obvious the answer. I emphasize to my students
that I have an open-door policy – any time that I am available they are welcome to drop-in to my
office. I encourage students to talk to me prior to making important decisions concerning their
education, and many of them take advantage of this opportunity to get a second opinion from an
interested but neutral party. The students appreciate my caring that they make informed
decisions.
Another method that I have found very useful to solicit feedback from students and maintain a
dialogue is the use of comments forms. At the beginning of term each student is given a number,
known only to him or her. Students are asked to submit written comments on any aspect of the
course. The students do not sign these submissions but rather use their personal (private) number.
Since I don’t know the students’ numbers, this allows me to write a reply to the student via the
personal number, without knowing the student’s identity. These written responses are made
available to the students in such a way that I do not see them collect their responses. This ensures
that the students’ comments are frank and honest while still allowing a response and creation of
an ongoing dialogue. The students appreciate this avenue of communication.
The instructor should make an effort to create a stress-free environment in the classroom
and laboratory. I make every effort to create a relaxed atmosphere for the students. As
mentioned, students are encouraged to ask questions throughout the lectures and labs. I brief my
lab assistants on the importance of treating the students appropriately and that they should never
talk to the students in a demeaning, condescending, or sarcastic manner. In my years of teaching I
have found that striving to always be relaxed, friendly, and well-organized creates an
environment, both in the lecture theatre and laboratory, in which the students feel at ease and
able to focus on learning.
The instructor should be enthusiastic and the course material as a way of motivating the
students to do the necessary work to learn the material.Physics, especially as taught in a firstyear general survey course, is a wide-ranging subject. Physics offers explanations of natural
phenomena and has application in a wide variety of disciplines. I find the ability to analyse and
explain diverse phenomena using physics to be very stimulating, and I try to instill in my students
the idea that ‘Everything is Physics’! I found it particularly rewarding one time when a student
came to me and said, “You’ve changed the way I think about the world! I’m no longer satisfied
with observing, I want to understand; and I’m finding that I’m able to gain that understanding
using what I’m learning in class.”
The instructor should recognize that students learn in various ways and make the best use of
the limited time with students. Over the years I have incorporated various methods of presenting
the course material to the students.
In 1997 I designed and created a website for use by all sections of Physics 111 at the U of S. The
website contained a number of interactive quizzes that I had created, an online form that I
created for submission of the answers to multiple-choice assignments, and the course outline,
assignment and test solutions and various other documents in html and pdf formats.
Currently, I use the Blackboard Learning System for online distribution of course materials, online
assignments, and reading quizzes. The reading quizzes test the students on the material to be
covered in the next day’s lecture, as a way of encouraging the students to read the textbook
material in advance of the lecture.
During the lectures, I use PowerPoint to highlight the points being discussed and to display photos
and figures. I do example problems from scratch on the blackboard, rather than displaying a predone example as a PowerPoint slide, so that students can see the prescribed problem-solving
method ‘in action’. I also make extensive use of computer simulations and real-life physical
demonstrations.
This year I have introduced the use of TurningPoint and audience response devices (clickers) as a
way of encouraging participation and collaboration during the lectures and testing the students’
understanding. During each lecture, I use TurningPoint slides that I have created that contain key
points framed as questions. The students then discuss the questions in small groups and submit
their answers individually using their clickers. Based on the results, I can either discuss the point
further or move on to the next topic.
Students are also provided numerous and varied ways to earn marks toward their grades in the
course. Students have the opportunity to earn marks by participating (with their clickers) in the
bi-weekly tutorials, by participating (with clickers) during the lectures, by doing the reading
quizzes, by doing the online assignments, by doing the written assignments (for which written
feedback is provided), by writing the midterm exam, and by writing the final examination.
Over the nineteen years that I have been a sessional lecturer, and the twenty-eight years that I
have been a laboratory instructor, I have learned that students desire and deserve an instructor
who is enthusiastic. Although the subject material may not change significantly from year to year,
each year brings a fresh set of students. By focusing on the fact that the students are new, even
though the material is not, I am able to stay enthused about the courses that I teach and to bring
that enthusiasm into the classroom and laboratory.