Teaching Philosophy

 

Good teachers possess a capacity for connectedness. They are able to weave a complex web of connections among themselves, their subjects, and their students so that students can learn to weave a world for themselves.
― Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life

 

For me, teaching truly begins with connectedness. This connection begins with my connection to the knowledge of course content, the related technical nursing competencies, and the broader links to nursing and beyond. This type of connection helps me develop excellence in teaching preparation and delivery. Through my facilitation, students increase their own knowledge and understanding about the content and technical competencies as they connect to the content as well. Often this facilitation is less about lecturing or discussing, and more about the introduction of real-world complex problems and asking questions to help students work together to uncover information for themselves that can result in realistic problem-solving.

Next, students connect to themselves: they delve into their own thoughts and feelings to uncover their strengths, to identify possible biases, and to challenge barriers to their personal and professional growth. This process of inward connection helps unfold students’ own potential and further develops them as leaders. This type of inward connection can ignite their desire for life-long learning and becoming globally minded citizens. To assist with their inner connection and growth, I infuse guided reflections and problem-based critical thinking into courses.

Another type of connection is the connection of the teacher to the student. For me, teaching is a sacred responsibility because my words and actions can greatly influence students. I know personally of students who had near suicide attempts after demoralizing interactions with professors. Conversely, I know struggling and vulnerable students who were transformed by their connectedness with just one teacher. Although I sense a burden of responsibility during every student interaction, connecting with students is my greatest joy as a faculty member.

Lastly, outward connection is incredibly important. How a teacher weaves a tapestry of information for students to unravel and examine within the context of the outside world is key. If the connection with the community is merely theoretical, learning is inadequate. The teacher’s role is to facilitate students’ interconnected understanding of civic responsibility, cultural humility, and reciprocal learning. Theoretical courses with a clinical component are ideal, but when I am not teaching a course with a clinical component, I try to include some engagement with the community, ideally through formal engaged civic learning as part of the course content. Through this process, students can uncover their own biases, existing systemic racism, ableism and other forms of inequity in our health and social system, and effect change.