Teaching Statement

Mishal Ahmed1

People outside the field of economics do not always hesitate to form and express their opinions on the
economy and markets. You read it in the news “Uber should treat drivers on its platform as employees
and give them employee benefits” and “the government should not allow cheap imports into the country
without taxing them.” My primary goal is to teach my students the knowledge and methods economists
use to make judgements with minimal emotion or bias in order to avoid the pitfalls of making conclusions
without rigorous, appropriate analysis.

Students grasp results and concepts best when they are provoked into thinking about questions that have
likely occurred to them already, but perhaps they have not managed to answer yet. For example, why do
two passengers sitting side by side in Economy Class on the same flight often pay very different ticket
prices? This sparks the student’s curiosity and leads them to focus on the concept while also retaining it
in their memory. Another strategy I use is to demonstrate concepts through applications instead of
abstract representations. For instance, instead of explaining that people buy less of good X when the price
of a substitute good Y decreases, I say that people buy less Coke when Pepsi is cheaper. Concrete
connections such as this help concepts “stick” in the student’s mind.

Other than gaining an understanding of concepts in economics, students must also develop analytical
skills to come up with their own answers to new questions and situations. I achieve this by peppering my
lectures with mini practice sessions. After handing them a problem, such as finding out the change in
equilibrium price and quantity of hybrid cars when gas prices go up, I instruct them to discuss in pairs and
attempt to analyze the problem together. This has the added benefit of breaking up the monotony of me
lecturing them continuously. Moreover, I have noticed increased participation from shy students after
they have had the chance to discuss answers with peers. From student evaluations and personal meetings
with them, I know that students have consistently appreciated these in-class exercises.

I have developed a strong belief that motivation is a key factor in deciding success and failure. Over the
years, I have seen students succeed and I have seen them struggle. Thus, I strive to provide students
motivation to study by using two distinct strategies. First, I use examples that are relevant to the student’s
level and experience. While teaching Principles of Economics, I ask students about working one more hour
at their part-time jobs outside of college to illustrate marginal benefit and costs. I talk about the latest
takeover by Amazon of Whole Foods when I am teaching MBA students. Second, I share my enthusiasm
with them, since I believe that my genuine interest in economics makes the subject more interesting.

I firmly believe in continuous improvement. I try new means of evaluating students like changing the
number of exams or assignments from one semester to the next in order to find the optimal number for
inducing students to evenly distribute their efforts throughout the term. My desire to constantly improve
as a teacher has led me to value student feedback. While student evaluations at the end of the semester
can be helpful to improve my teaching in the future, it does not provide a strong incentive to the students
filling out the evaluations since they are not the direct beneficiaries. To address this, I ask for feedback
during the semester. To generate candid responses, I leave the room and tell my students to place their
suggestions on the table without their names on it. I also sometimes take aside students individually and

1
School of Economics, Georgia Institute of Technology. Email: mishal.ahmed@gatech.edu
ask them for feedback, students who I know will not shy away from pointing out areas that need
improvement.

I have a balanced approach to using technology in education. Sometimes I will show video clips to my
students when I feel that will increase interest in the topic. I assign homework online when it assists in
their learning. On the other hand, I do not believe in all-PowerPoint lectures. Things such as definitions
and theorems show up in my slides, but I work through numerical examples, graphs etc. on the board.
Similarly, I came across research that shows students taking notes in digital devices retain less than those
taking notes on paper, and as a result, I stopped allowing use of electronic devices in class.

I am of the belief that an individual excels in something that he or she truly enjoys. Perhaps the most
important component of my teaching philosophy is to enjoy the act of teaching.