פרופ”ח אסתר סגל – הפקולטה להנדסת ביוטכנולוגיה ומזון

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my opinion, a teacher’s role is not just to transmit information, teach skills and help students earn the highest grades. We should share our passion for knowledge and our curiosity with our students, develop their critical thinking abilities, foster their creativity and independence and prepare them for the real world they will face after graduation. I believe that we should approach teaching with the same enthusiasm and responsibility we approach our research. Such an attitude towards teaching makes it an interesting and challenging activity and motivates us to be innovative and effective in the classroom.

Creating communication and trust is critical for establishing an efficient and productive learning environment. I show the students empathy and care; this also means going the extra mile for them. I am genuinely invested in my students’ success and I try to provide them with all the necessary tools to achieve their goals. The students appreciate and respect these efforts and, as a result, they are more committed and motivated; they invest more effort in the course. Another important foundation of my teaching approach is demonstrating the relevance of the course materials in both professional and disciplinary contexts. My course contents are designed to incorporate both theoretical and practical concepts, when the latter is intended to be applicable to real-life situations and contexts.

My teaching principles:

• Well-structured and well-organized class materials facilitate learning.
• Use demonstrations and different teaching tools to engage the students in the learning process.
• “One size does not fit all” – we should recognize that our class is heterogenic and students have different learning abilities.
• Demonstrating the relevance of the course and the importance of learning outcomes encourages, motivates and facilitates learning.
• A good and relaxed environment in class enhances communication, improves students’ ability to learn and promotes open discussions.
• I keep my expectations and course requirements transparent to students.
• Incorporate integrative and interdisciplinary course assignments and projects.