What to Teach

I consider teaching both a challenging and exciting profession. From a technical perspective, teaching can be defined as a three-step cyclical process. First, a teacher is given a subject and a set of students. In the initial step, the teacher engages in background reading and develops excitement about the topic. Next, the teacher conveys that excitement and knowledge to the students. Finally, students expand their knowledge independently and provide feedback to the teacher, who updates their understanding in preparation for the next group of students. The students’ ultimate contribution, which can have a significant impact on the world, heavily depends on the teacher’s ability to engage and inspire them. While it can be difficult to cultivate and transmit this excitement, it is not impossible. My approach to this challenge is guided by two key questions: What to teach? and How to teach?

What to Teach

As an instructor, I focus on teaching fundamentals rather than transient technologies. It is important to identify the high-level goals of a course. For example, a student completing a compiler construction course with me should:

Develop curiosity to explore programming languages beyond the classroom examples. Gain confidence in implementing algorithms in any language, given the grammar of that language. Understand programming languages as tools for implementation. After defining these goals, I structure course material to introduce these concepts in an orderly manner while keeping the overall picture clear for students.

How to Teach

Teaching methods should be flexible, evolving based on the students, course content, and learning environment. For instance, to engage struggling or bored students, assignments and assessments may include both basic and challenging tasks, with the balance adjusted for each class. I believe a teacher must continually self-evaluate after each class and adapt teaching methods accordingly. Effective teaching is a dynamic process, shaped by mutual understanding between the teacher and the students.