-teaching in particular -- this relationship breaks down for the first
-time in most students' and teachers' lives. In business schools, where
-I teach most often, lectures are given by professors trained as
-academic sociologists, economists, and psychologists. To say that few
-business school students have an interest in becoming social
-scientists would be understatement. I have seen how a failure to
-recognize this dynamic can lead to a lack of respect and a lack of
-connection between teachers and students seen as, ``the folks who pay
-the bills.''
-
-But this setting has also shown me that teaching that confronts, and
-takes advantage of, this dynamic can lead to transformative learning
-experiences. Successful teaching across intellectual domains goes
-beyond the simple reproduction of skills and knowledge and becomes a
-process of adapation and instantiation of knowledge in the context of
-students' personal experiences. I understand that most of my students
-do not want to be a researcher like me. I believe that in spite of
-this unusual and challenging relationship, and \emph{because of it}, I
-can teach students in ways that suprise, connect, and enrich.
+teaching in particular -- this relationship breaks down. In business
+schools, where I teach most often, lectures are given by professors
+trained as academic sociologists, economists, and psychologists. Of
+course, very few MBAs become social scientists. I have seen how a
+failure to recognize this dynamic can lead to a lack of respect and
+connection between teachers and students treated as, ``the folks who
+pay the bills.''
+
+Business school has also shown me that teaching that overcomes this
+dynamic can lead to transformative learning. Teaching across
+intellectual domains goes beyond the reproduction of skills and
+knowledge and becomes the creation of new knowledge in the context of
+students' personal experience. I understand that most of my students
+will not become researchers like me. I believe that in spite of this
+challenging relationship, and because of it, I can teach students in
+ways that surprise, connect, and enrich. In my teaching, I address
+this dynamic in three ways.
+
+First, I strive to make my teaching relevant to my students
+experiences and interests. I always seek to communicate why the
+material I teach is relevant and how it will be useful. I have taught
+similar concepts to engineers, MBAs, and executives and have worked
+to refine and tailor my message for each audience.
+
+Second, I attempt to involve students directly in learning. Even in
+large lectures, I engage students interactively in the discussion of
+examples from their experience and adapt my teaching to emphasize
+material they respond to more positively. In assignments, I challenge
+students to integrate course concepts with their experience and
+interests.
+
+Third, and most importantly, I structure my teaching around
+explicit mutual respect. Before each lecture, I reflect on the total
+student-hours my teaching will consume. I realize that in every class
+meeting, my students give me dozens, even hundreds, of hours of their
+attention. I strive never to waste it. I continually seek feedback
+from my students so that my teaching is more relevant, useful, and
+important to them.