Teaching Philosophy
This past spring, I completed my thirteenth year of teaching in the liberal arts at the
university level. I have refined my teaching methods over the years, but still believe in
five basic principles.
RESPECT: In every course, I include the following statement in my syllabus: "An
atmosphere of mutual trust is essential to the success of this course. I strongly encourage
lively debates and urge students to respect each other's opinions. Expressions of
intolerance are discouraged. Disagreeing with others intelligently and politely is a skill,
one that we will all strive for during the semester." Topics in history can often be very
emotional, and I strongly believe that learning how to consider and analyze
interpretations—which requires questioning one’s own position or opinions—is an
important skill that will serve students well in their professional lives.
VARIETY: It is important to utilize a variety of pedagogical methods and evaluation
techniques to accommodate different learning styles. The element of surprise keeps
students coming to class and helps them become more engaged in their own learning. For
many years, I have combined cooperative learning techniques such as “think-pair-share”
with more traditional lectures. This is a challenge in a class with 45 students, but I modify
my strategies each semester. I also like to experiment with different evaluation
techniques by combining formal presentations, oral examinations, written examinations,
response papers, research papers, field trips to local cultural sites and institutions, and
creative projects (such as the publication of a class book, the creation of a web site or
exhibition, or docent training) and find that students often note in their evaluations that
they appreciate the multiple approaches.
RIGOR: In my classes, students are required to read with a critical eye and are held
responsible for that material on a daily basis. I have a strict attendance policy, suggesting
that success in my courses requires dedication. I clarify my expectations at the beginning
of the course in the syllabus and make certain that the students understand the reasons
behind my approach. My main focus, however, is teaching students to read, speak, and
write well. To that end, all of my classes have heavy reading loads and are writing and
speaking intensive. I emphasize the importance of mechanics and offer in-class tutorials
on grammar, usage, and citations. I strongly encourage students to meet with me outside
the classroom for extra help and require regular trips to the Writing Center.
ACCESSIBILITY: My favorite statement in a student evaluation came a few years ago. It
said, "Dr. Lewis is tough, fair, and always available." I use email, voice mail, and office
hours to give students access to me and strongly encourage contact outside of class.
ENGAGEMENT: Faculty members must remain engaged in their fields of study by actively
researching and writing, and in my case, also curating exhibitions, to be successful
teachers. The frequently invoked dichotomy between teaching and research in the
university obscures the need to do both well. The faculty members who are the most
effective in the classroom are often the ones most interested in publishing, presenting at
conferences, and collaborating with colleagues.