Philosophy Why Teach Reflections Interests Hello and welcome. My name is Dan Sutko. I’m a first-year master’s student and teaching assistant in the Department of Communication at North Carolina State University. Among these pages, you will find a summary of my ideas about teaching and what it means to be a teacher. I believe that a student’s education is a collaborative process between parents, students, and educators (be they teachers, counselors, administrators, or coaches). Thus, my teaching efforts are only a piece of the greater whole of education. These pages collate my philosophy and experience. My teaching philosophy develops from a combination of my reasons for teaching (under “Why Teach”) and my reflections. My reflections will be more frequently updated than my philosophy or reasons for teaching, which I’ll update only when my thoughts have developed to such a degree they are no longer well represented by the material there. Please click a picture to visit the corresponding page or skip the links to read my introductory statement below. I hope you find my material informative and thought provoking. --Dan Sutko--
Copyright (c) 2006 Daniel Sutko
contact: dan {underscore} my last name {at} n c s u {dot} e d u
 
Why a teaching portfolio? Aside from the fact that it’s a professional imperative, I believe I should be open about my philosophies because it’s important for parents, students, administrators, and colleagues to know what to expect from me. For example, after perusing my portfolio, one would never think, “why does Dan emphasize critical thinking and inquiry so much in his classes?” This person may disagree with me or prefer other methods, but my reasoning for why I do what I do will be clear, which is important. Indeed, comments on my philosophy are very useful to me. Public scrutiny of my thoughts encourages my own private scrutiny. I am encouraged to challenge my self and my attitudes. All of the older, successful professors I know share one commonality: they all readily admit that they’re constantly learning how to teach. As a fledgling teacher, I hope to learn as much as possible from these practiced professors. As I learn from others and from my own experiences, I look forward to adding to this portfolio. This portfolio is not just an example of where I’ve been; I hope it’s also an indicator of where I’m going.
Dan Sutko: Teaching Portfolio