Talha Rafiq lives by the golden rule of education — teach others the way you want to be taught. For the master’s student in Applied Health Sciences, that means playing the role of leader to motivate and encourage students toward success.

Talha is particularly effective as a teaching assistant in Biostatistics, considered one of the most challenging courses in Applied Health Sciences, and other subject areas that span the basic sciences to the applied methods.

“I feel grateful for the opportunity to teach Biostatistics labs and share the subject matter I love with students. I am extremely passionate about teaching and nothing else can produce the joy that teaching allows.”

Talha’s skills as a teacher are constantly evolving as a result of attending Instructional Skills Workshops and obtaining advanced certification in teaching and learning. His teaching philosophy focuses on putting students at the centre of the knowledge process, prompting students to take ownership and control of learning, and to develop critical thinking skills.

“I believe that the most effective technique in engaging and stimulating students to think critically is when I can recognize what drives and motivates their learning. I make a conscious effort to get to know my students, understand their background, and discover their strengths and weaknesses. This process allows me to grow their enthusiasm for the course and ensures that every student leaves the lab with a sense of accomplishment.”

Testimonials

“..  he is indeed a reflective educator. Tahla encourages his students to provide feedback and implements strategies to facilitate learning and retention. Talha fosters a safe experience to promote critical thinking. He asks students to develop their own viewpoints on conflicting empirical findings and then invites them to debate and defend their viewpoints.”

 “He created a welcoming, fun and educational learning environment in his labs … Along with explaining the theories and methods to different statistical procedures, Talha would explain their practical applications in research and the real world, so the students would have a greater understanding of the importance of what they have learned.” 

“As a student, I immediately recognized Talha’s enthusiasm and desire to help students improve their performance and experience. His ability to identify and respond to students’ needs has made him stand out as one of the strongest teaching assistants I have had.”

“His passion for teaching coupled with his interactive teaching techniques and practical background in the field, allow for him to be very effective as a teacher.”