Carmen Jany

Fall 2006

Certificate in College and University Teaching Portfolio

CV

Websites

• Mixe
  Dictionary
• Ling 101
• Span 2
• Span 3
• German 3

Statement of Teaching Experience and Philosophy

My teaching philosophy has developed with my teaching experience at UCSB over the past few years. I have had the opportunity to teach first-year German and Spanish language classes at different levels as a teaching assistant and an upper-division linguistics course (Linguistics 101: Linguistic analysis) as a teaching associate. My responsibilities as a teaching assistant included all instruction, writing quizzes, grading, and the co-construction of exams. As a teaching associate I was in charge of the entire course, including the development of the syllabus and exams. In these capacities I have worked with undergraduates at all levels, taught smaller (less than 20 students) and larger classes (up to 35 students), and mastered many teaching techniques through faculty guidance, mentorship, and teaching-related seminars. I have thoroughly enjoyed these teaching experiences which have been very positively evaluated by my students and have earned me an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for my German teaching.

Teaching and research are both very important to me. In addition to the Ph.D. program in linguistics, I am working towards the Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT) and an additional emphasis in Applied Linguistics. My dissertation project involves the development of instruction materials for the preservation of an endangered Native American language. Teaching the proposed course would enhance my dissertation research by giving me the opportunity to discuss the source materials for my research with the class and to benefit from students’ ideas, while they profit from my research experience.

I believe that teaching should not be one-way. Ideas and techniques should be exchanged between teacher and students. As a teacher it is my task to stimulate and lead a dynamic exchange of ideas, to help students develop and elaborate critical and analytical thinking skills, while refining my own, and to support their creativity in finding new ways of exploring the matter at hand. This can be achieved only in a learning environment which maximizes student involvement, such as class discussions, student presentations, and original research, and where a healthy relationship between students and teacher is maintained.

Student involvement often presupposes concern and enthusiasm for the topic being treated. Therefore, I consider it an essential part of my responsibilities as a teacher to grab the students’ interest by displaying my own enthusiasm, as well as by positively welcoming any suggestions, ideas, and comments, leaving my own views open to new considerations. I see motivation and creativity as key factors in academic success. Motivation is what keeps the learning process going, a strong desire to explore new things, to acquire new skills, and to observe oneself grow. Creativity is what keeps any discipline alive and helps to build new scholarly fields.

The use of diverse learning styles, including reading, elaboration through discussions, and putting it all together in class projects, increases the students’ chances of progress. Given that learning involves creating meaning from experience, the practical application of newly acquired concepts is a key factor in understanding the materials. I encourage the use of new technology to keep pace with our scholarly trends and to facilitate learning. I also believe that is it essential to refer to current events and situations when discussing a topic. In linguistics, this could be personal experiences or allusions to newspaper articles or talks.

In my teaching I try to combine the technical and social aspects of linguistics to give students a more complete picture of what language is all about. The educational principles to which I adhere – maximal student involvement, motivation, creativity, and learning from experience – are part of a larger goal of guiding students toward intellectual independence and growth. I try to achieve this goal by fostering critical thinking and encouraging original research.