In formulating my teaching philosophy, I came across two quotes that resonate strongly with me. The first one is by Albert Einstein,
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.
and the second one goes like,
(Good teachers…) not only unlock but also unleashing the hidden potential! The potential we see in the students is just the tip of the iceberg. What we (and they) don’t see is the huge base of the iceberg submerged below the water.
Professor Abd. Karim Alias
My journey as an educator is not straight-forward and took years to develop and hone the skills and knowledge in this education field. Here I tell the story of my journey in brief.
I started my career as a pharmacist and earned a PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. My PhD training prepared me as a Synthetic Medicinal Chemist; so little in teaching chemistry. Despite that, I do believe in awakening the sleeping giant inside all of us–to be the best that one could be.
Who would be in the best position to awaken the giant? No other than a teacher, an educator who believes in her students. She is in the position to shape the young minds, inculcate values and instil relevant skills in her students. To undertake such big responsibilities, the best of intentions must be supported with the right approaches or strategies.
In the beginning of my career, I approached teaching with behaviourist mindset. I placed more emphasis on negative reinforcement to elicit changes in behaviours and attitudes. The approach didn’t work well… Now I realised, the ‘best’ teaching approach is to offer guidance and suggestions to my students–support and facilitate learning.
I learned the constructivist approach at workshop sessions at AKEPT (Malaysia Higher Education Leadership Academy). It opened my eyes to many possibilities. This took place in 2013. I adopted this approach in my lecture and interactions with pharmacy students. In this approach, I design learning activities and formative assessment to foster active learning during the face-to-face time and in online classes–so that learning is more meaningful and make sense to my students. To my surprise, my students did many amazing things! From time to time, I will share many wonderful time and memories in my journey as an educator in the 21st century.
