Of Teaching Philosophy - Personal Statement Example

My passion for teaching originates from my sincere belief that one will only gain a deep understanding of a when he or she tries to teach it and transfer the knowledge to others. I have experienced this myself through teaching assistantships for courses on basic and advanced signal processing, which helped me become much more efficient in utilizing those tools in my research.  I have been the teaching assistant for five different courses during my career as a graduate student. In particular, instructing the Project Integrated Program (PIP) for three years has improved my teaching ability and inspired me with the effectiveness of project-based curricula in engineering and applied sciences.

PIP is a program that emphasizes an integrated understanding of the engineering science principles, and how to use them to fulfill projects and design practical systems. This program replaces the entire second year curriculum for the students, during which the students are presented with theoretical lectures on five different subjects. They also work on several projects in small groups and maintain close interaction with faculty, teaching assistants and their team members. I have had the chance to compare the engineering skills of the students who have taken this project-based program, versus those who chose the traditional system.

For example, I have mentored summer and co-op students from both groups and could not help noticing the merit of the PIP graduates in handling their projects, especially practical ones, with a higher level of confidence and expertise. I believe that a design-based and project-oriented teaching method is crucial to training good engineers, even at an undergraduate level. This can be achieved by defining practical projects as a part of the coursework or integrating separate project courses into the curriculum.

  Although many of the required engineering skills can be obtained through well-defined projects, students also need to have a strong theoretical foundation to be able to handle their problems in a more intelligent manner. I have had the privilege of obtaining my bachelors and masters at Sharif University of Technology, which has one of the most acclaimed undergraduate level programs in electrical engineering. I believe that the success of their program is partly due to their student admission criteria, but most importantly, because of the competitiveness of the system and the incentives that induce higher effort among the students.

In a classroom, this can be implemented by rewarding individuals, or even better a team of students, based on their achievements in quizzes or projects or the amount of their progress through time. A close interaction with the instructor and the teaching assistants is also a critical factor to maintain a high standard of teaching. This can both enhance the teaching and guide the learning process towards the right path.  In particular, I am interested in teaching graduate courses in medical imaging, biomedical instrumentation, signal processing, inverse problems and optimization, continuum mechanics and acoustics.

Also, I will be able to teach different courses related to electrical, mechanical and biomedical engineering for undergraduate students. I am a dedicated, highly motivated, diligent person who consistently strives for the best outcomes in life, work, and school. This is one of the many reasons I have decided to apply to your faculty. I possess the intellectual commitment and compassionate interest to make this a satisfying and successful vocation. I truly want to leave my mark on the world by helping others.

I realize this will not be an easy task, but I am motivated and determined. I know my perseverance and diligence will help me to reach my ultimate objective of contributing to your institution. I truly believe that I could be an asset to your university. I am a natural multi-tasker who has the ability to succeed and reach the top in each situation. I have a wide range of interests and knowledge to contribute to this faculty. I can ensure you that you are not making the wrong decision my accepting my letter of admission.

I will not only work hard to prove myself worthy of your acceptance but I will work hard to surpass your expectations. I have proven in the past that I care about others and am motivated by an intrinsic desire to help others. Thank you for your consideration