Vocation
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Having worked with university students for two decades, I’ve come to view teaching as my life's purpose. Pedagogy is a demanding craft, but its most vital elements are simple: passion for the material and sincere care for students. I aim to live this out by approaching every seminar like it's the Super Bowl. I've found that when I speak and listen as if the stakes couldn't be higher, students tend to respond in kind.
The other pillar of my approach is clarity. Clear communication is not just a tool for comprehension, but also an expression of respect for both my students and the ideas we’re discussing. This is why I favour plain, direct language and am constantly on the lookout for examples and analogies that might illuminate obscure concepts. My work in the classroom has earned various awards, but more encouraging than institutional recognition has been feedback from students. While they aren't shy about constructive criticism (including fashion advice that I will continue to ignore), they also speak to the impact of an approach built around intensity and lucidity. It's so much easier to engage critically and passionately about a topic when it is clear the lecturer cares. Dr Paytas's energy and commitment to our classwork was infectious, and he did a good job of making me understand why this unit was so important (and so fun!) He cares so much about his teaching that his passion for it seeps into the lessons, and we can’t help but get excited too, even though this unit had some of the most difficult philosophy I've come across thus far. He made each class unmissable for students.... He explained complex concepts clearly and in unique ways, catering to different learning styles. This subject is probably the most I have been challenged academically, and it has been the most rewarding. High expectations from Dr Paytas meant the students worked hard as well. It taught me work ethic and a mindset that I want to implement in other subjects. While the content was seriously difficult, Paytas' energy was unmatched and every lecture was focused and engaging.... I began to understand ideas and thinkers in ways I hadn't been able to before and feel I grew a lot as a student. Switch up the outfit, maybe a funky new shirt?! |
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Distinctive Teaching Contexts
ACU Western Civilisation Program
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I have taught in the Western Civilisation Program at ACU since 2021. The program provides students with a liberal arts education centered on the great works of the Western intellectual tradition, from antiquity to the present.
Teaching takes place in small, in-person seminars of roughly ten students, allowing for sustained engagement with primary texts and instruction centered on open dialogue and rigorous discussion. This structure creates an environment in which students are challenged to articulate their views clearly, respond charitably to disagreement, and take intellectual responsibility for their positions. In addition to undergraduate units, I teach in our Master of Liberal Arts degree and supervise honours, master’s, and doctoral theses. I also serve as faculty mentor for the Liberal Arts Society, a student organization that hosts social and academic events within the WCP. |
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JHU Center for Talented Youth
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One of my most rewarding teaching experiences was spending eight summers at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. CTY offers advanced secondary students the opportunity to complete an intensive, university-level course condensed into a three-week residential format.
Teaching in this context requires a balance of rigor, clarity, and sustained energy. Classes meet daily (up to seven hours) and move at a demanding pace, with students engaging material typically reserved for university study. The CTY courses I've taught include Biomedical Ethics, Introduction to Philosophy, Logic, and Ethics. Working with advanced students in such a compressed setting sharpened my approach and reinforced the importance of clear structure and relentless enthusiasm in the classroom. |
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