Teaching Philosophy
Public and private colleges offer wide ranges of post-secondary educational opportunities to a number of different student populations. In addition to their traditions of granting baccalaureate degrees, these institutions also provide associate degrees and certificates to students who intend to enter the work force with less than a baccalaureate degree, or who intend to transfer to other four-year colleges and universities. They also often provide one- and two-year career programs in a variety of vocational, technical, and middle-level professional fields for those students who do not intend to seek baccalaureate degrees. Moreover, ‘terminal’ career programs are, at present, attracting more students in many colleges than are traditional general and liberal studies curricula. DTCC remains at the forefront of these trends, as its degrees and certificates are designed to allow students to meet their goals at an accelerated pace, including the potential to earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as three years for full-time students.
My teaching philosophy places the student at the center of the learning process, surrounded by what I have learned through research and experience are the skills that a student needs in order to succeed in college, in the workplace, and throughout life.
I recognize that every student who comes to college comes with a strong foundation of achievement and a unique background that reflects the families, schools and communities in which they are a part of. As such, I endeavor to provide education that builds on this foundation with a range of content that interests students, motivates their active participation and inspires them to step out of their comfort zones and expand their personal development.
The five elements that have guided my teaching philosophy are grounded in research about essential skills and best learning practices. Using real-life simulations, role-playing activities, problem-based and project-based learning strategies, these key elements are infused into all of my efforts:
Success in the digitally and globally integrated world of the 21st Century requires skills like self-awareness and self-confidence, goal setting, public speaking and active listening, teamwork and cross-cultural awareness, and critical and creative thinking. I remain dedicated to fostering each, both in and out of the classroom.
Current research underscores education that assists students in developing social and emotional skills that will provide them with a lifetime of benefits. In fact, a growing body of research demonstrates that students learn more deeply if they have engaged in activities that require applying classroom-gathered knowledge to real-world problems. (Darling-Hammond and others, Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding, 2008).
My transition into higher education was motivated by a desire to pass along the skills, and impart the knowledge I have been fortunate to acquire during my years in the workforce and in higher education. As such, being a member of a college where attention to teaching and learning has a high priority is important to me.
In summary, I believe that learning can and should be fun and that students who are active participants learn much more than those whose participation is largely passive.
My teaching philosophy places the student at the center of the learning process, surrounded by what I have learned through research and experience are the skills that a student needs in order to succeed in college, in the workplace, and throughout life.
I recognize that every student who comes to college comes with a strong foundation of achievement and a unique background that reflects the families, schools and communities in which they are a part of. As such, I endeavor to provide education that builds on this foundation with a range of content that interests students, motivates their active participation and inspires them to step out of their comfort zones and expand their personal development.
The five elements that have guided my teaching philosophy are grounded in research about essential skills and best learning practices. Using real-life simulations, role-playing activities, problem-based and project-based learning strategies, these key elements are infused into all of my efforts:
- Curriculum that brings the classroom and the real world together.
- Harnessing the power of student self-awareness.
- Placing students at the center of the process.
- Using peer interaction to foster leadership development.
- The educator as role model.
Success in the digitally and globally integrated world of the 21st Century requires skills like self-awareness and self-confidence, goal setting, public speaking and active listening, teamwork and cross-cultural awareness, and critical and creative thinking. I remain dedicated to fostering each, both in and out of the classroom.
Current research underscores education that assists students in developing social and emotional skills that will provide them with a lifetime of benefits. In fact, a growing body of research demonstrates that students learn more deeply if they have engaged in activities that require applying classroom-gathered knowledge to real-world problems. (Darling-Hammond and others, Powerful Learning: What We Know About Teaching for Understanding, 2008).
My transition into higher education was motivated by a desire to pass along the skills, and impart the knowledge I have been fortunate to acquire during my years in the workforce and in higher education. As such, being a member of a college where attention to teaching and learning has a high priority is important to me.
In summary, I believe that learning can and should be fun and that students who are active participants learn much more than those whose participation is largely passive.