Teaching Philosophy

Detailed Statement on Teaching Philosophy by Andrew V. Knyazev who is with Department of Mathematics at University of Colorado at Denver. Here is his approach to testing:

I open each session with a brief reminder of the previous session's material and an outline of the day's topic, and I typically conclude with a summary of key points. There is a special session for review before every major test. I usually speak clearly, loudly, and slowly, but enthusiastically. Students are encouraged to learn from each other as their grades are not curved, thus, students are not competing with their classmates. In some classes, I give group projects and homework. When possible, I distribute solutions to homework problems, quizzes, and tests. To reduce students' anxiety about tests, I make old exams available on the Web, and often give practice tests. I usually give a test on prerequisites during the first week of the course. I do not consider memorization to be the most important in math courses; all my tests are open book/notes. Assignments and projects are naturally integrated into my courses. I spend time explaining the assignments and solving similar problems in class for further discussion.