Teaching

The basis of my teaching philosophy was laid during my teaching training and it has evolved during my teaching experience. Rather than a teacher, I see myself as more of a facilitator. I believe that the relationship between a professor and students needs to be built on three pillars: collaboration, mutual respect, and engagement.  The students and the professor start each class as a team embarking on a journey of knowledge with the professor as guide. Each member of the team, including the professor, will learn from this experience. In order for the common goal, respectively learning, to be reached, collaboration needs to be developed. The guide, the teacher, should be the leader and moderator in this collaboration. Channels of communication need to be opened between all members of the team. Activities that build the feeling of association to a common goal of knowledge achievement and creation should be at the core of this collaboration in which every member of the learning community is respected.

I believe that by building an atmosphere of respect, collaboration, and engagement in a classroom, a teacher does not only teach, but also prepares students for life. It is my opinion that in such an environment students are introduced not only to the course material, but also to different aspects of life. Learning is a life-long endeavor; as educators, our goal is to prepare students for this by providing them with a base of information on which they can build, and encouraging in them attitudes and techniques for continued learning. In summary, I apply the ICARE principle(s) (Interaction, Connect, Apply, Reflect, and Extend) in my teaching.

Teaching Philosophy (PDF link here)

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

• Paf 7939 Social Capital And Public Affairs: Theory And Practice (Doctoral Seminar)
• Pad 6700 Analytic Techniques For Public Administrators I
• Pad 6701 Analytic Techniques For Public Administrators II
• Pad 6399 Foundations Of Emergency Management & Homeland Security
• Pad 6397 Managing Emergencies & Crises
• Pad 6149a Nonprofit Administration
• Pad 4392 Emergency Management And Homeland Security
• Pad 3930h Honors Homeland Security
• Pad 4144 Nonprofit Organizations

OTHER UNIVERSITY TEACHINGS

• MGMT 4050 INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT (Robert Morris University)
• BS 303 INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT (Penn State University)
• PIA 009 PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS (GSPIA, University of Pittsburgh)