As a teacher, I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity given to me to help learners shape their own intellectual wealth. It is my utmost delight to see them grow professionally and personally. I have began my career more than three decades ago teaching third grade pupils. That experience was very exciting and rewarding and led me to choose teaching as a life-time career. I genuinely enjoy teaching and cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I still teach every class with excitement and enthusiasm as if I am teaching it for the first time.

Teaching is an exciting adventure in which both the teacher and the students participate. Learning means questioning and repositioning. That is why I refrain from pure lecturing, even when I have large undergraduate classes like in Arabic 372 (Modern Arabic Literature in Translation). In this course, which attracts a large number of students from various disciplines, I work hard to kindle a spark of intellectual curiosity to stimulate their interest and get them genuinely involved in the process of learning. Students are urged to actively participate in the class in several ways. Every student, for example, is asked to give a class presentation followed by lively discussion. This experience, often dreaded by students, has proved to be beneficial not only as a learning endeavor, but also as an activity which enhances the students' self confidence and helps them far beyond the scope of class.

I make a conscious effort not only to impart information to my students, but also to motivate them beyond the boundaries of the classroom. I make sure to memorize the students' names well early in the quarter. I do not understand how a teacher can conduct a class without knowing his students' names. Courses are supposed to be designed to accommodate the intellectual needs of the students. The teacher is there to facilitate this process.

The teacher needs to be very patient; to be tough at times; to present a diversity of materials, techniques, and input: and, above all, to have a sense of humor. Boredom is the cruel enemy of learning. A boring teacher cannot awaken or motivate a class and bored students cannot interact or inspire. I get the greatest inspiration from my students.

I strongly believe that teaching and research must be integrated. The boundaries between the two are very artificial. This is even more true when graduate students are involved.

I would rather teach than talk about teaching! (It is much easier).