Philosophy is many things.  But, for me, it is first and foremost a discipline, a tradition and a way of life.

The discipline of philosophy is that of critical thinking, dialogue and argument, and reasoned speculation.

The tradition of philosophy, at least in the West, is that of a free, cosmopolitan, humanistic and shared inquiry into the central questions raised by the human experience:  What is reality and how can we distinguish it from mere appearance?  Can we know anything for certain?  Indeed, can we know anything at all, even if not for certain?  What is a good human life?  What is justice?  Beauty?  Virtue?  How ought we treat others?  Are we merely sophisticated animals, or are we something more?   Furthermore, while the tradition of philosophy overlaps at many points with the traditions of science, art and religion, it remains distinct from and irreducible to each.

As a way of life, philosophy is the path followed by all those who fall asleep at night wondering which of their beliefs might be false, or how they might justify their beliefs to others, or whether their beliefs are coherent, or whether traditional social practices merit continued support.  It is the path followed by those who, through critical self-reflection and dialogue with others, seek to take responsibility for and own as much of their lives as possible.  As a way of life, philosophy is its own reward.

In my teaching, I aim to bring students to the discipline and tradition of philosophy so that they might appreciate its merits as a way of life.  I have no one approach to teaching philosophy.  Depending on course material, student interest and preparation, and time constraints, I may lecture, facilitate discussion, direct close critical readings, or require student presentations or group exercises.  Whatever my approach in a particular class, however, I am generally guided by two basic principles.  First, philosophical progress is rarely marked by our steadily acquiring more and more correct answers to vexing questions; it is more commonly marked, first, by our slowly realizing that the questions to which our existing beliefs are answers are very different -- sometimes easier and sometimes harder -- than we at first supposed, and second, by our ruling out implausible answers to these questions rather than finally answering them once and for all.  Second, as a discipline and tradition, philosophy is a sort of conversation that has gone on for more than two thousand years in the West, and only the most arrogant and impolite person would venture to join the conversation without knowing anything about how it has developed over time.
Finally, in my teaching I hope to learn -- from students, from texts, from colleagues and from experience.