Stephen Sills applicant to Sociology

Full-Time Tenure Track Faculty position

A Student Centered, Multi-Cultural & Interdisciplinary Teaching Philosophy

Having taught for over ten years at all educational levels from
kindergarten to university, and in as diverse settings as rural North Carolina,
urban inner-city Seattle, and Taiwan and in institutions such as vocational high
schools, language institutes, community colleges and in the traditional university
setting, I have experienced a variety of students’ learning styles. The common
thread through all of these experiences has been my commitment to providing
students with a comfortable setting in which they may explore concepts and
more importantly develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Awareness of the distinct needs of the student has permeated my
teaching style. I have learned that every individual student and every
educational setting requires a different approach. For this reason, my teaching
practices have varied from progressivist methods of interdisciplinary problem
solving and self-discovery to reconstructionist approaches of community-based
learning and team exercises. Though I believe that the content of the course
being taught and the acquisition of that content by the students is very
important, I feel that most important is developing within the students an idea of
the process by which knowledge may be gained and the skills to apply that
knowledge. When one understands how to gain knowledge for themselves, they
may apply that skill to any discipline
I teach Sociology from a Cross-Cultural or Multicultural Studies
perspective. I believe this approach provides students with an understanding
and appreciation of the various cultures that they may encounter in an
increasingly pluralistic society. I utilize an interdisciplinary curriculum that
introduces students to the language, art, literature, philosophy and theology, as
well as the history and accomplishments of African Americans, Native
Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and other groups. Through my courses,
students may gain a full understanding of how social groups act and interact to
produce and maintain culture. I make a special effort to include groups that
have been traditionally underrepresented in the study of the history, politics,
economics, literature and arts as well as to provide students a better
understanding of how gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity and social class act as
forces which shape culture. By basing this multicultural curriculum within a core
of social science course, students may be taught to apply the critical lens of the
sociological imagination to the other focus areas as well as to their own lives.
Learning outcomes are broad goals, stated in general terms as individual
objectives that may be assessed by well-defined criteria or assessment tools. In
developing assessment criteria for my own courses, I try to include not only
knowledge of the content (i.e. assessment of the cognitive domain) such as the
ability to define or explain a sociological concept, but also the ability to apply
that knowledge in observations of the social word (psychomotor domain) and
analysis or critical assessment of society (affective domain). Assessment of the

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 Stephen Sills applicant to Sociology
Full-Time Tenure Track Faculty position

students’ achievement is more an evaluation of the instructor’s performance

and ability to create a nurturing learning environment. Thus, the outcome of the
learning environment will manifests itself in student success and achievement. If
an instructor is truly proficient at assisting students in understanding the material,
the majority will score quiet well on assessment tools. In my own courses1 I have
relied on a variety of evaluation tools: successful completion of assignments,
creative implementation of concepts learned through reaction papers or
essays, scores on traditional tests or quizzes, self-assessment surveys at mid
course and end of course, as well as the quality of group projects.2 I tend to
prefer projects as they emphasize higher order, critical thinking skills as well as
mirror the realities of future employment. Students are encouraged in my
classes to work together in project teams focusing on utilizing their own talents
and skills. In this way, they must not only apply what they have learned in
lectures, readings and discussions, but must also develop communication skills
that will be vital in their future.
Most of my courses include, if not emphasize, learner –centered
activities. Since my time as a high school teacher, I have striven to be more the
“guide by the side” than the “sage on a stage.” My own learning has benefited
most by those instructors who allowed me to explore the material through
meaningful activities and experiences rather than lecture. I have incorporated
into all of my syllabi time and credit for application of theory to creative and
relevant projects. Recently, my research methods course, taught in more a
seminar than lecture format, engaged in a study of park usage. Students were
taught the fundamentals of conducting a research project and were
introduced to qualitative and quantitative techniques of data gathering through
individual activities (including literature review, observation, interviews,
questionnaire construction, etc.) Students then selected a focus area among
these methodologies and conducted primary research on the social
characteristics and concerns of park users. Data gathered by one group was
shared among others to help inform their research and formulate theories to
explain the social dynamics of this public space. The final result was a
comprehensive study (over 80 pages including visuals and diagrams) written
entirely by the students.
In addition to being learner-centered, my courses are often an
interdisciplinary pursuit. The study of culture and society is an inclusive and wide-
ranging activity. There is even evidence that interdisciplinary approaches are
more effective than traditional teaching methods.3 In the past, I have
coordinating materials, projects, and instruction to create hybrid courses that
teach the application of Sociological principals and methods to other fields of

1
See www.public.asu.edu/~liulang/
2
Student examples online Soc101 http://www.public.asu.edu/~liulang/Ethnicity & Food.htm or
Soc391 http://www.public.asu.edu/~liulang/SurveyProject.htm
3
Yorks, P., & Follo, E. (1993). Engagement rates during thematic and traditional instruction.
ERIC Document Reproduction Service. [ED 363 412]

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 Stephen Sills applicant to Sociology
Full-Time Tenure Track Faculty position

study. For example, in 2002 I taught Sociological Research Methods focusing

the content on Urban Ecology from a sociological viewpoint.4 Likewise, creating
courses that are lead by teaching teams from a variety of fields would be a
natural and appropriate practice for this program.
I assume that technology is simply another tool that may be used in any
endeavor. Unfortunately, I see many instructors unnaturally using technologies,
simply for the sake of having a gadget or piece “new” equipment. I have
attempted to use new technology where it fits best. For example, I have
incorporated the internet into my classroom by having homework submitted
online, as well as by providing lecture materials to the students online. To me this
makes sense, as the internet is useful in disseminating information to a broad
audience and for communication. I also reserve time for students to use the
computer lab when we are working on a group project or assignment that
would benefit from the record keeping, tabulation, or data manipulation
capabilities that computers offer. I provide students with useful links through the
library’s online resource and other online databases to help them learn where
they can find useful sociological data. I use PowerPoint for my lectures, as I am
able to bring more (photos, audio, video clips, etc) into the lesson than with
other forms of presentation. In multicultural studies, there would be a natural
application of new technologies especially in the students’ recording the cultural
landscape around them (by means of digital imaging, audio or video). As a
visual sociologist, I have found the benefits of technology in recording and
analyzing cultural artifacts. I have also learned, through the use of documentary
video and participatory research, the power of technology to empower cultural
groups who lack voice in our society. Thus, the ability to infuse information
literacy and information technology into the curriculum needs to be natural and
smooth; using technologies that are appropriate for the circumstance, yet
balanced with traditional technologies of pedagogy.
I have taught in a variety of settings, each presenting a unique challenge
and a chance to grow as an instructor. In 1991, as a new Spanish teacher in
rural North Carolina, I learned that building rapport with the local community
was essential in developing a program that would outlast me as an individual
instructor. In the Seattle Public Schools, I was challenged by the social needs of
inner-city youth and learned to become more of a mentor and counselor. As
an ESL teacher in Taiwan, I have had to learn to understand the intricacies of a
culture that is distant from my own and to become aware of those cultural
differences in the instructional environment. Teaching at Mesa Community
College and at Arizona State University while simultaneously working an
ambitious dissertation research program and sharing the responsibility of being
a parent has challenged me to learn balance between my academic and

4
For other examples of hybrid approaches see Marouli, Christina (2002) Multicultural
Environmental Education: Theory and Practice. Canadian Journal of Environmental Education.
7(1).

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 Stephen Sills applicant to Sociology
Full-Time Tenure Track Faculty position

personal life. I have realized that it is important for my academics to have time
with my family, and I place a high value on this time.
Finally, I am committed to the principles of a well-rounded liberal-arts
education for all. I believe that Sociological understanding and awareness helps
students answer essential questions in their lives about their own cultural identities
and those of their peers.5 Moreover, it helps them to live and work in an
increasingly multicultural community. Sociology promotes understanding of the
social processes that create cultural conflict, thereby reducing potential for
future misunderstanding. Through this education, a culturally and socially aware
society will have greater potential for mature dialogue and reflection on diversity
issues and more importantly learn to respect, trust, and develop personal
relationships that transcend gender, race, faith, and nationality.

5
See for example Nieto, Sonia (2000) Affirming Diversity: A Sociocultural Context of Multicultural
Education. Addison Wesley Publishing Company