Patel Teaching Philosophy - 1 of 1

Sheetal J. Patel
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Truth is an eternal conversation about things that matter, conducted with passion and
discipline.
Parker Palmer, The Courage to Teach

The central tenets of my teaching philosophy are dialogue, discovery, and dedication.
These concepts are key components for continuing those conversations that matter in education.
Thus, my teaching philosophy can be broken down into the following objectives:
Provide an environment where students can realize what they are passionate about
through dialogue.
Teach students to think critically and effectively, so that they can continue the
disciplined process of discovery needed in professional communication fields.
Increase dedication to continued learning in the field of communication.

Dialogue
The first step I perform in the classroom is learning from my students through dialogue
what communication-related experience they have and why they are in a communication
course. By learning about my students, I tailor the class to them. I am also able to involve their
experiences in class, which creates new concept familiarity, facilitates understanding, and
makes new material applicable to those experiences. By starting with discussion about student
experiences related to course subject matters, students are better prepared to begin a course
from a foundation they create.
In the Advertising Media course for example, I begin the first class period with a
discussion about how each student uses new media formats and what persuasive messages in
these formats they prefer, such as iPhone applications, Facebook ads, and consumer generated
media. They then do a day-in-the-life group exercise about their own daily use of media. As
a class, we then discuss how the concepts of new media and consumer lifestyle connect to what
they already know and like about advertising media. This gives students the confidence they
need for the rest of the semester to continue dialogue in the classroom as challenging subjects
arise, to raise questions, and to begin to think and speak about new perspectives in a dynamic
field. It also gives them a chance to think about their passions related to communication.
With everyones experiences out in the open at the beginning of a course, I am able to
build a community of learners in each class I teach. These communities help students inspire
each other in team-related coursework. A community of learners can work with different types
of people and respect each others ideas. Because a community is interdependent, students
begin to influence each others decisions in creative and collaborative ways. A community can
foster motivation, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Two activities I use in the Advertising
Media course to help create this community are group development of a full media campaign
and group presentations on new media. These assignments generate discussion both in class
and outside the classroom. Another activity is student discussion of theory and concepts
during in-class exercises. These activities have the added benefit of preparing students for a
team-oriented professional industry.

Discovery
When students feel as though they are in control of discovering new ideas, they become
more invested in the subject matter. As such, I design each lesson plan with different styles of
learning that may be applicable to different students learning habits and creativity. For
example, in the Advertising Media course, my students have more options to learn than just
reading and doing math formulas. Rather, my classroom offers an environment where students
can choose among different learning methods to find which works best for them. Such methods
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include basic lectures, different daily assignments, discussion on new media, interaction with
professional media planners and buyers, human movement exercises to understand the basis
for formulas and data analysis, and hands-on experience with development of a team-built
media plan.
One example of an exercise involves pairs of students who choose a current challenge
for media planners that they must be able to present within two minutes. They then lead a
discussion so that the class can discover together what challenges exist in the media industry
and propose possible solutions. Activities such as these allow students to take ownership of
their learning through experimentation with the course material, creativity in application of
theory, strategic and critical thinking, and discussion about the challenges they may face and
need to solve in a dynamic field. Such exercises bring concepts and theory to life for students.
These exercises are also applicable to other courses, such as consumer research or integrated
marketing communication, where short topic presentations might focus on challenges of talking
with consumers or challenges in overseeing execution of a full marketing communication plan.
Overall, my students teach me what helps and challenges them, and they discover different
ways to develop their passion for communication.

Dedication
My concern and interest for my students education in and outside the classroom centers
on ways to support conversations on what matters. I encourage students to stay dedicated and
disciplined in learning about their own interests so they feel confident in their abilities as they
prepare for the job market. To accomplish this, I bring real world experiences into the
classroom and foster skills and habits focused on continued learning.
I invite young professionals who are beginning their careers to the classroom to share
their experiences as guest speakers. Students are encouraged to ask questions of the speakers,
and I encourage the speakers beforehand to facilitate discussion. Through their visits, students
are able to learn what it takes to be a communication professional, and what types of activities
professionals are involved in that help them stay dedicated to their field.
I also require students to read current publications, such as trade magazines, that are
relevant to the course subject. Based on their readings, students then bring up questions for
classroom discussion that specifically challenge an authors viewpoint. This fosters a habit of
continued learning on topics students care about and of critical and strategic thinking about
information available to them. This is particularly critical in communication, as new technology
changes the way consumers communicate and use media.
I am also dedicated to obtaining feedback from my students, so I can evaluate and learn
how to improve a class and find new ways to think about course material. I do three
evaluations during the semester to help assess not only how I am doing, but also if students
find the material in the classroom valuable. This also allows me to provide different and
interesting contexts for information, adjust lesson plans, and be flexible throughout the course.
I then share evaluations with the class for open discussion. This helps students continue to feel
part of a community of learners and know that I am dedicated to their learning. For example, in
one class, students were often afraid to ask formula-related questions related to advertising
media for fear of other students comments. As a result, I created short group exercises so
students could ask questions in front of only a few of their peers, I offered extended office
hours, and I dedicated the first part of the next course I taught to rules for a safe learning
environment.

Dialogue, discovery, and dedication are not only important for students in my classes,
but also for my own development as an educator. In this way, I am able to teach and learn. It is
my privilege to continue conversations on truths that matter with future students.