Mack Mariani Click here to view in Microsoft Word. |
I have chosen a career in undergraduate teaching because I find it to be a challenging and rewarding occupation that gives me the opportunity to inspire students to engage the political process with passion and excitement for the rest of their lives. In my view, politics is an interactive process in which members of a political community with different values and interests struggle to distribute power and resources, establish the rules of the game that define the type and extent of collective action, and establish formal institutions and informal norms to achieve these ends. I try, therefore, to approach the study of politics in the classroom in a way that reflects the nature of politics itself by emphasizing the interaction of different perspectives and the clash of different values and ideas. Learning about politics should be a collaborative process that involves learning from each other, as well as from readings and lecture. In order to understand politics, students must appreciate the different backgrounds, interests and perspectives that different people bring to the process. I want students to feel comfortable expressing their views and their values. I encourage students to approach political questions from multiple perspectives and to consider the actions of political actors within the context of the values those actors hold and the constraints of the institutions in which they are located. Of course, discussion and debate by itself is not sufficient; it must be focused on something substantive. As students of politics, we must be open to a variety of political ideas and alternative explanations for political action and political change. I raise questions about prevailing theories, encourage discussion about alternative methods, and offer contrasting explanations that could lead us to different conclusions. This is a contentious, but rewarding process. I use my class assignments to facilitate student discussion; taking the time to go over assignments in class and giving students the opportunity to reflect on their answers in light of other student's views. Many of these assignments ask students to role-play – by participating in a campaign simulation, writing a press release for a Member of Congress or rewriting the Bill of Rights, for example. My objective is to inspire students to consider alternative ways of approaching political questions while they develop the ability to think critically and improve their writing skills. In my experience, I have found that students respond very positively when they are given the opportunity to use their imagination, to empathize with others and to approach political questions from alternative perspectives. In order to ensure that grades are a fair and accurate reflection of students’ understanding of the subject matter and their commitment and contribution to the class, I prefer to evaluate student work in a variety of different ways. Frequent quizzes, response papers and writing assignments provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and to show improvement through the course of the semester. While participation is very important, I understand that some students are less comfortable speaking in public and perform better in interpersonal or small group settings. I believe it is useful to provide multiple avenues of participation by conducting several in-class projects and simulations through the course of the semester. It is important to treat students as individuals and to give students with different backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses the opportunity to contribute to the class. Through teaching, I hope to prepare my students to think critically about political issues and inspire a life-long commitment to participate in the political process. This life-long commitment can best be promoted through the development and encouragement of experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates. I strongly believe that first-hand experience, either as an observer or participant in the political process, is essential to a well rounded political education. My work as a political professional has inspired me to explore ways to encourage students to participate more effectively in the political process and to promote political internships and experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates. I believe that by focusing more attention on research and programs related to experiential learning in the field of politics, we can strengthen our understanding of politics and help students develop an interest in and a commitment to responsible citizenship. ### |