Teaching Philosophy

My Name:Megan Winget Barrett
Office: 213 Manning Hall
IM: NCMeggo

Undergraduate

In my opinion, the goal of undergraduate eduction is to prepare students for the outside world - to give them the skills that they'll need to succeed in any endeavor they want. Because I do not and probably will not ever work in a vocational school - I can not teach practically useful skills like plumbing or carpentry or how to fix your car - the only skills I have the capacity to teach are related to critical thinking and communication.

Critical thinking and communication, to my mind, are best taught through exposure to the underlying theories of any subject. Therefore, all of the classes I teach, even if they have a significant practical component, will be grounded in theory, and will consist primarily of reading and discussion.

By the end of one of my classes, I will expect students to understand the theories - why things are the way they are - and be able to effectively write about and discuss the intricacies of the subject's theoretical underpinnings.

Graduate:

I haven't taught a graduate class yet, so don't have any opinions on it. But I do know that my attitude is similar to teaching undergraduates, but because we are at a professional school, I do have an added responsibility to make sure students have the practical skills they are supposed to have by the end of the class.

How to Prepare for my Classes:

The success of my classes depends on students' active participation. Mostly this means that it's important to read, think about, and understand the assigned readings before each class. Further, you should read the texts in such a way that you can ask and answer questions about them.

Readings

In a perfect world, you would read every article for every class meeting. However, I understand that the world is (lamentably) not perfect, and students often need help prioritizing their time. On my syllabi and schedules, the required reading(s) for each class session will be marked with an asterisk (*), and MUST be read. You will be expected to be an expert on that text; i.e., be able to talk intelligently and coherently about it. Recommended readings will be marked with a hash (#). Optional readings will be marked with a bang (!).

For undergraduate students, class discussions will be run on the understanding that you've read the required (*) readings.

For Master's students, class discussions will be run on the assumption that you've read through the recommended(#), as well as the required(*) readings.

Optional(!) readings are for those students who are particularly interested in a topic. If you're particularly interested in a topic, come see me and I'll get you a bibliography.

Critical Approach to Reading:

1. What is the text's main point?
2. What message is the author trying to convey?
3. Do you agree with the author?
4. Why or why not?
5. Why did the author write this paper?
6. How is he or she approaching the topic?
7. How does this text/author relate to others you've read?
8. How does this reading relate to the discussions we've had in class?
9. How does this reading relate to discussions you've had in other classes?
10. Finally, it's important to consider the "warrant" for the article you're reading. This is commonly known as the "SO WHAT?" question: do you think the text is important? How is it important? Why is it important? Does it further the thinking in the field? How?

Essentially, students control the outcome of my courses. If the students do not do the readings and / or are unable to have effective discussions regarding them - the class will be pretty quiet and dry. It is my responsibility to choose interesting readings and get the conversational ball rolling. It is the student's responsibility to understand the texts and be able to talk about them.

Participation

I can not stress enough the importance of participation in my classes. In every class I teach, a significant portion (more than 20%) of the final grade will come from participation. This is not the same thing as simply showing up. To do well in my classes (and in many other endeavors) participation means that you're willing and able to engage with the material in a meaningful and constructive way. You are willing to share your opinion in an effective and polite manner, and add to the collective class experience.

My responsibility is to give the class the opportunity to have valuable discussions and experiences, by making available thought-provoking and timely readings, and leveraging students' personal and professional knowledge to make sense of the materials through discussion and reflection. Finally, I like to have some practical application of the theory, so will try to provide the opportunity to put thought into action. Your success in my classes - and the success of your fellow students - depends on your regular engagement with and contribution to the combined conversations of the class.

For more ideas on how to effectively participate in my (or any) class, please see the art of participation.

Grading : Undergraduate

This is my interpretation of UNC's grading policy.

A = <95 - 100%> Excellent work for an undergraduate student. Mastery of course content at the highest level of attainment that can reasonably be expected of students at a given stage of development. The A grade states clearly that the student has shown such outstanding promise in the aspectof the discipline under study that he/she may be strongly encouraged to continue.

A- = <92 - 94%> Very strong work for an undergraduate student

B+ = <89 - 91%> Strong work for an undergraduate student

B = <86 - 88%> Highly Competent work for an undergraduate student. Strong performance demonstrating a high level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The B grade states that the student has shown solid promise in the aspect of the discipline under study.

B- = <83 - 85%> Competent work for an undergraduate student

C+ = <80 - 82%> Highly Acceptable work for an undergraduate student

C = <77 - 79%> Acceptable work for an undergraduate student. A totally acceptable performance demonstrating an adequate level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The C grade states that while not yet showing any unusual promise, the student may continue to study in the discipline with reasonable hope of intellectual development.

C- = <74 - 76%>Minimally acceptable work for an undergraduate student

D+ = <71 - 73%> Passing work for an undergraduate student

D = <65 - 70%> Minimally passing work for an undergraduate student. A marginal performance in the required exercises demonstrating a minimal passing level of attainment for a student at a given stage of development. The D grade states that the student has given no evidence of prospective growth in the discipline; an accumulation of D grades should be taken to mean that the student would be well advised not to continue in the academic field.

D- = <61 - 64%> Marginally passing work for an undergraduate student

F = <less th an 61%> Unacceptable work for an undergraduate student. For whatever reasons, an unacceptable performance. The F grade indicates that the student's performance in the required exercises has revealed almost no understanding of the course content. A grade of F should warrant an adviser's questioning whether the student may suitably register for further study in the discipline before remedial work is undertaken.

Some of my teaching ideas were inspired by Jens Erik Mai, who teaches at the University of Washington. I saw them on his website: http://www.ischool.washington.edu/mai/