1. Teaching Philosophy
Doretha L. Smith
It has always been my total desire to teach since childhood and teaching has become
my passion. As a present adjunct instructor of business and management courses, my
aim has always been to motivate students to achieve their personal, academic goals. I
have always nurtured students to develop critical thinking skills and to challenge their
academic abilities. My goal during each class session is to create a positive learning
environment that will promote intellectual stimulation and empower them through
academic support. In the classroom, I practice positive re-enforcement through class
exercises and group interaction, promoting intellectual diversity.
My skills as an instructor are constantly evolving. I challenge my students through
research assignments and group projects to enhance their learning on a particular
subject. My students are pushed to explore and research complex scholarly articles and
resources to seek advance abilities in scholarly writing and to understand academic
standards in writing. I anchor my andragogy in the principles of students being self-
directed, responsible for their learning, and maintaining self-confident with internal
motivation. My teaching strategies include promoting student enthusiasm and desires to
learn the subject being taught. I always seek to further my skills in listening,
collaboration, and application of knowledge to everyday practices.
My lectures and instructional deliveries are vivid, thought provoking that promotes
learning and engage students to dialog among their peers. Less motivated students are
encouraged to make a consistent effort through mentorship or coaching and to seek my
support when struggling through a particular problem. I spend the extra time with
students, during the first day of class, in proper APA style writing and course
requirements. I let my students know the expectations of the graduate program and
what the expectation will be in earning their grades. My expectations for graduate
students are high, and I want their graduate experience to be interesting and fun.
At all times, my students know where they stand in course assignments and their
grades. Ultimately, my students trust me as a competent instructor and buy into my
teaching method and philosophy. I always find a way to encourage students to think out
of the box and be creative in the classroom by performing writing exercises to improve
writing skills which lead to improving public speaking skills. My lectures are designed to
be interactive and discussions more interesting. I allow students to challenge me as an
instructor and use me as a tool for continuous learning.
During class sessions, I provide my students with general guideline to what they should
be focusing on. I help them organize their thoughts and synthesize any reading
assignments. A certain portion of my class will struggle with graduate college level
assignments, but I alleviate student anxiety through continuous engagement and
instructional guidance. I allow time to meet with students after class, am very diligent
about responding to student e-mails quickly, and devote time for personal consultations.
Students always know that I am there for them.

2. I enjoy teaching face-to-face and online. Because students bring a diverse set of
worldviews to the classroom, I believe that it is the teacher’s responsibility to take
neutral stances on controversial material, political issues, and general social issues as
well. Teachers should not present themselves to students as supporting a particular
side because choosing sides can have negative and unintentional consequences of a
student’s learning experience. In my classes, I play the role of moderator and mentor
instead of an activist. I believe being neutral and supportive of student’s ideas motivates
students to participate in class. Taking a neutral stance also acts to challenge students’
intellectual abilities. It requires them to defend their positions using critical thinking
regardless of what side they take, and it also introduces students to points of view that
they may not have considered themselves. Ultimately, it presents students with a
positive learning environment where they must use logic and reason to develop
positions and counter-positions (i.e. critical thinking).
Along with setting standards for students, I believe fostering superior learning requires
exacting standards from the teacher as well. One important standard that I have set
myself is giving students a clear indication on how they will be graded. A good example
of how I set such standards is found in the writing assignments. Each writing
assignment is accompanied by a handout which clearly explains what students are
expected to accomplish. Also included, is an outline of what students need to include in
their work (see attached document for an explicit example of this). Overall, setting clear
standards helps limit grading bias and instances where students may try to take
advantage of a teacher’s generosity.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
I believe that a good teacher is one that continuously is learning throughout life. As a
teacher, I constantly self-assess and evaluate my performances in the classroom each
time I teach. This includes: assessing how well I articulate the material, gauging the
students’ reactions to the material, and creating new ideas on how to improve my
presentations to maintain student interest. I believe that improving on lectures and
discussions, adding new materials and presentations. Talking with experienced
professors and other instructors for advice are other important ways I continue to
improve my skills as a teacher. I keep up on current social issues, refreshing my
knowledge of the subject being taught, and use student evaluations to inform me of my
weaknesses.
In conclusion, I believe teachers have a duty to their students, the institution, the
profession, and to themselves. My philosophy is that teachers should never stop
learning. They should continue to evaluate his or her performance among colleagues
and students, and lead by example inside and outside of the classroom. My anagogical
stance and goals are to have effective relationships with my colleagues and support I
strive to give all students an equal opportunity to learn by promoting intellectual diversity
in a variety of ways. To create a positive learning environment, where students can
develop their critical thinking skills, I respect student’s intellectual diversity through
conducting myself in a professional manner. I must set high standards for my students
and myself in the classroom. I must also lead by example for my students and as a
mentor.