The underpinnings of my teaching philosophy are understanding and patience. Understanding is important not only for the subject matter that is being taught, but also for creating relationships with the students. I believe that it is important to build rapport and personal relationships in order to create an environment that is suited for individual learning. This is accomplished by understanding the material that is being taught, as well as the students you're working with. I like to pair patience with understanding as it is an important characteristic for a teacher to have in any teaching environment. Patience for the material and patience for the students creates an open space in which the students may feel free to express themselves and ask questions without worry of criticism or judgement. As a returned Peace Corps volunteer, I also value sustainability. Although my experience concerning sustainability has primarily focused around project design and development, I think it can also be attributed to methods of teaching. As much as I enjoy teaching and providing students with examples, I do it in a way that encourages self-guidance by showing students how to figure out problems on their own. I also like to ask them questions to get them to problem solve, as well as to assess their level of understanding and to keep them actively engaged. As important as it is to memorize the rules, it's more important to know how to critically think and figure out solutions to something unknown. Finally, I believe learning can't be encouraged unless it's provided in a fun, real-world manner. I like to use my positive energy to keep the ball rolling during long stretches. Taking short breaks are sometimes necessary for continued learning and growth. I like to provide examples that relate to ourselves, our surrounding environment, and to provide a bigger picture of the material that is being taught and why it's important. Overall, I like to see myself as a guiding facilitator between the student and the information that is out there, to teach and encourage healthy study habits, and to develop a bigger-picture view of how it relates to the world around us.