Teaching Philosophy

As a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and individual who struggles with a developmental language disorder, my teaching philosophy has been shaped over the years. As a former early intervention service provider, I understand the importance and impact of having a united team. As the SLP, I was the one who had the skills and knowledge that I would bring to the therapy sessions to help guide and coach the parents and caregivers in helping them interact with their child. I believe this philosophy is the same while working with college students: I, as the instructor, have the knowledge, and will work alongside and teach students, who will then go out into the community and world. You need to build relationships and I believe everyone works better when they have someone to model in order for them to master the material. I believe in the power of change, accommodations, and building strong foundations with others. I exemplified this philosophy of teaching through supporting individuals in what they can do by first establishing a community.

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I like to begin my courses by performing icebreakers to establish a community of people who respect and get to know one another, for when more trying times or harder discussions occur. Conducting icebreakers is helpful during the start of the course so students are all on the same page: they are all new learners, new to the class, and new to my teaching style. Building a community is foundational in order to address building a community of help, support, and that is ultimately a safe place for all who enter it. I believe students should be provided with the opportunity to learn from myself, and I learn from them, but more importantly, from one another. I believe discussions in both whole and small groups is fruitful in order for individuals to learn from each other’s experiences, and coming together to solving a problem as a whole.

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My goal as a teacher is to shape the next generation of scholars and motivate them to approach learning as a way to positively change the world. Teaching and learning to me is a two-way street. The teacher must meet the learner where they are at and expand on bridging the gap between what someone knows and what they should learn by the end of the course. With the teacher as the one who has the most knowledge and the student as the seeker of learning, we must work together as a team to build upon a relationship of learning.  

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Professors who know resources and events occurring in the university show the importance of community and staying involved. Students engage in service learning to understand what they are learning and how they can use the experiences in my classroom to their life outside the classroom, and as they move further in their careers. I want to help my students by providing additional resources for them (i.e., university disability resource center, counseling and psychological services) to benefit them in all their courses. This allows me to act as an informed guide on the importance of staying connected with the university community, and what is going on in my students’ lives to better serve and support them.

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Being a student who struggled throughout my educational career, I value the importance of one on one assistance or additional tutoring. I ensure I am available to students via email, office hours, before or after class if they have any questions. This not only allows a safe space for students to seek clarification, but shows them that I am and want to take the time to get to know them, to feel comfortable coming to me for questions, and to show I genuinely care. This allows time for students to come to me to bring up any concerns they may have regarding class or obstacles they’re facing outside of class, and how we can work together to solve an issue.

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I believe all children have the right to learn in a manner that works more efficiently for them. My prior experiences have helped shape me as an instructor, and as a professor, I strive to provide learning opportunities and experiences to my students to help shape them and their future endeavors.