Teaching Philosophy

 W. E. B. Dubois once said, “Education must not simply teach work – it must teach life.” These words I hold close to my heart. My teaching is grounded in the belief that my purpose as a teacher is to expose, prepare, and best equip students with the necessary knowledge to navigate life. As a current PhD student, I have lost count of how many classes within my education career that I have walked away from at the end of the semester feeling like the material didn’t translate to my actual life. Through therapy and much self-reflection, I realized that many of the decisions I have personally made regarding life after college have been more reactive than proactive. My educational career taught me how to make a living, but not how to make a life. Because of that, I struggle with finding my way and dealing with the regret of not better setting myself up. As a teacher, I have learned how to turn my mess into my message so I can centralize an educational experience that will have tangible life lessons. With that said, my teaching philosophy is a culmination of my experience as a student to best empower the students of today.  

I believe in intentional lessons. I will make sure any course material covered in class will be tangible in some capacity to students. Whether it’s exposing students to a new concept that may be able to help in the future, allowing students to work within their interest and passions, or connecting the course material to tangible life skills, students will be able to walk away from class with knowledge that will empower their futures. 

I believe in creating a safe and engaging classroom community where students will network with each other regularly. One of the biggest struggles within a classroom setting is feeling alone and not being able to have anyone to talk to. Being able to know that you’re not the only one and you have other people in your class who you can lean is beneficial to the class environment. It helps foster more engaging conversations and give students the courage to be themselves when they know their classmates are in the same boat as them. 

I believe in seeing my students win when they put in the effort. My job as a teacher is not to encourage failure or set them up to fail, but to be their number one advocate, resource, and teammate for the course material. When students question if their teacher wants them to succeed, they overly fixate on doing the work for the grade rather than taking the time to truly learn and understanding the course material for their life. In addition, winning is not limited to just the classroom. I am beyond inspired to learn and celebrate students’ victories outside of the classroom. 

I believe in students taking care of their own wellbeing. Just as I have a life outside of the classroom, students also have a life outside of the classroom. When certain things take place in our life, our priorities often shift to what holds the most importance in our life. The same way being a teacher can become secondary to other priorities in life, so should being a student. I believe in being understanding and flexible with my students who are regularly communicating with me about what’s going on in their lives. In addition, I believe in students’ ability to prioritize their mental health and wellbeing. If they need, they space, they can take it. We will work on a plan to make sure they stay on top of their work and able to still submit work at the highest level.  

Teaching Philosophy References

Anderson, D. L., & Graham, A. P. (2016). Improving student wellbeing: Having a say at school. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 27(3), 348-366. 

Hughey, K. F., & Hughey, J. K. (1999). Preparing students for the future: Making career development a priority. Journal of career development, 25(3), 203-216.

Kuo, J., Hagie, C., & Miller, M. T. (2004). Encouraging college student success: the instructional challenges, response strategies, and study skills of contemporary undergraduates. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 31(1), 60-68.

Long, D. (2012). The foundations of student affairs: A guide to the profession. In L. J. Hinchliffe & M. A. Wong (Eds.), Environments for student growth and development: Librarians and student affairs in collaboration (pp. 1-39). Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries. 

Smith, S. M. (2011). Creating safe learning environments for at-risk students in urban schools. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84(4), 123-126.