Teaching Philosophy

I used to see my primary role as the disseminator of a body of knowledge, but that's a mechanism not a goal. What matters is that my students thrive because I create as close to possible ideal growing conditions for their human, social, and intellectual capital, and also make them "hardy" so they can survive in tough conditions, bending but not breaking. 
Knowledge acquisition is important, but is not the only goal - knowledge is a resource, like food and nutrition, that is taken in to create a sustainable life. I measure my success by the growth and change that I see in my students from first to fourth year and the role I had in both challenging and supporting them.