Outstanding University Graduate Student Teaching Award, Doctoral I
Viraj Patel
- Graduate Teaching Assistant in Communication
- Masters from Illinois State University in 2020
What is the core of your teaching philosophy in one sentence?
Teaching is to help students continuously (re)discover themselves.
The three most valuable or important methods/approaches/attitudes/etc. that I bring to my teaching practice are …
Perspective taking, decentering power, and establishing dialogue
The resource or person that has been the most important influence in my teaching career is … (and why)
Aaron Sorkin - the writer of The West Wing and The Newsroom. He helped me think of teaching public speaking as an opportunity to stimulate civic participation.
I want to continue to improve my teaching in the following ways …
By learning how to better facilitate discussions *with* students.
Best compliment that I’ve received from a student was …
I am so glad you stressed the importance of having self-confidence, and I have put myself in situations that I would be too scared to attempt to do. I want to thank you for that.
The one teaching technique or strategy that I would recommend to my colleagues to enhance student learning the most is …
Give as much as you can without compromising your own health! Students need to be cared for, now more than ever before.
“Teaching is to help students continuously (re)discover themselves.”