I believe that an accurate understanding of fundamental concepts is an essential component of learning effectiveness in the classroom. In crafting a course, I articulate the knowledge and skills I want each student to master and make a conscious effort to be as engaged and enthusiastic as possible. Particularly, I try to use a variety of methods (e.g., individual and group learning, formal and informal learning) and techniques (e.g., case studies, simulations, experiential exercises, and small group discussions) to promote the understanding of key concepts. While doing so, I aim to maintain the highest level of enthusiasm throughout the semester and across the various topics discussed. Additionally, I believe in setting high expectations for my students and encouraging them to rise to the occasion. For this to be an effective approach, I provide students with extensive feedback on their assignments and make myself available to my students when they need assistance.

Once students grasp the essence of key ideas, I challenge them to apply their knowledge to real-world problems. For each new topic, I incorporate current, real-world connections to clarify why the topic is important and relevant. For instance, in my undergraduate classroom, I prepare relevant materials (e.g., up-to-date modern organizational examples) for each of the topics in my course. By providing students with examples of real organizations, implementing engaging activities such as cases and debates, and allowing them to discover the relevance of the material, I find that my students quickly realize the value and applicability of the materials. In many ways I see the material coming full circle, at the end of the semester when my students conduct managerial interviews and realize that many concepts discussed in class are being utilized in the workplace. In my master-level classroom, as most of the students are full-time employees and have experience in teams, there are many natural bridges to connect the course content to their current and future lives. During the discussion sessions, I play the role of moderator to integrate different opinions around the topic and have students discuss using the course concepts. I also encourage students to think about how the issue at hand is being dealt with in their organizations. Accordingly, I encourage a highly interactive environment to leverage students’ diverse experiences. The nature of management research, and particularly organizational behavior, has the potential to be very applicable, once students realize what the subject entails.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I attempt to inspire growth in my students by giving them opportunities to take the knowledge into their own experience of their life. Over the course of the semester, I would like my students to internalize their knowledge, especially on how to work with others and how to navigate complex managerial decisions through designed course activities and deep discussions on any arising issue that students may encounter in the course work. For instance, the final team project in my undergraduate course is assessed not only by the content but also by 1) how well they planned out their teamwork to best utilize members’ competence (individual differences, team composition); 2) what kind of strategies they adopted to motivate members, make decisions, and manage conflict throughout (motivation theories, decision making biases and strategies, team process); 3) peer feedback they exchanged to facilitate learning from one another. I find this particularly effective for students to realize and internalize their knowledge of how they actually act when working with others. Similarly, the various assignments in my master-level course encompass deep analyses of managerial challenges. In each assignment the students are asked to 1) identify the problem, 2) analyze the nature of the problem and the specific causes of the problem, 3) recommend solutions based on the theory and evidence they learned from the class, and 4) provide a specific action plan for implementing their recommended solutions.