My Teaching Philosophy
"Learning is not a spectator sport" -Mark Twain
When I began my career in Fire/EMS, I sought out experience and learned as much as I could. I eventually specialized in critical care transport and became a flight paramedic. I found myself easily bonding with the students who were completing internships at the fire department for paramedic certification. Many of them would seek me out as a preceptor, because I would take time to explain complex ideas and I genuinely cared about their learning and wanted them to succeed. I quickly earned a reputation as the preceptor who will help learn. I wanted students to have good internship experiences. I felt that I had a responsibility to my profession to help teach those who wanted to learn it. Teaching others about my profession just came naturally to me, and I found my passion to serve others was growing into a passion to help others learn how to serve others in need. That desire to teach others led to graduate studies in adult education, and to a career focus toward training and education.
I want to be a role model for my learners. I feel it is important for me to take time to get to know them. I want them to recognize my passion for teaching, and my genuine desire for them to be successful. Understanding their goals and reasons for pursuing education helps me know them better. I draw upon those desires and goals in my teaching. I strive to demonstrate professionalism, patience, humility, acceptance, inclusion, and open mindedness. I seek feedback from my learners regularly to improve.
I clearly communicate my expectations and requirements for success and offer several different methods for students to communicate with me.
I strive to create rich learning environments that are challenging yet inclusive, with experiences that consider all learnings styles. I carefully plan and review content, assuring it is relevant and up to date. I share the goals for each class session with my learners, and before we dismiss, I assure we achieved them.
I strive to give timely, accurate, fair, and honest feedback. My evaluations use the same standards for performance that my learners encounter for professional licensure or certification. I evaluate my methods for measuring student success and mastery after each course. I strive to create a safe place for my learners to participate and make mistakes. If they are given the opportunity to participate without punishment, they are more likely to participate, and to attempt what they have been studying. Using low stakes quizzes, discussions, and my very favorite- hands on scenarios- have excellent results in my courses. We celebrate mistakes in these scenarios! I frequently use group discussions about text reading assignments, peer reviewed evaluations and numerous team-based scenarios. I use case studies and scenarios in every session, some which I experienced personally. I take great effort to assure these are valuable to learning and not just me telling “war stories”.
I make use of instructional technology such as the learning management systems, and I take time to help those who are not familiar with using that technology. I use technology (or simulate as best as possible) that learners will encounter in the field as much as possible Lecture sessions are important and can contribute to learning. I make sure I construct lectures with student attention span in mind, changing the focus or tempo every 12 minutes or less, and assure content contributes to the lesson/session goals.
I feel it is important to me to be a resource for students after they leave my program/course. I make sure they have the required information to contact me afterward. I frequently hear from former learners, and I enjoy hearing about their encounters in the field. Many I hear from express they feel that I played a large role in preparing them to handle a tough situation that required critical thinking. It always adds a dose of validity and encouragement for me.
I have a deep desire to see my learners succeed, and I find ways to make sure this is reflected in my teaching. I seek out ways to make my class sessions fun, entertaining, rich in content and meaningful to the overall outcomes and course goals. I embrace the challenges I may face with each course, and always seek to improve and learn. This is my craft, my passion, my responsibility and my contribution to the profession I teach and society as a whole.
I want to be a role model for my learners. I feel it is important for me to take time to get to know them. I want them to recognize my passion for teaching, and my genuine desire for them to be successful. Understanding their goals and reasons for pursuing education helps me know them better. I draw upon those desires and goals in my teaching. I strive to demonstrate professionalism, patience, humility, acceptance, inclusion, and open mindedness. I seek feedback from my learners regularly to improve.
I clearly communicate my expectations and requirements for success and offer several different methods for students to communicate with me.
I strive to create rich learning environments that are challenging yet inclusive, with experiences that consider all learnings styles. I carefully plan and review content, assuring it is relevant and up to date. I share the goals for each class session with my learners, and before we dismiss, I assure we achieved them.
I strive to give timely, accurate, fair, and honest feedback. My evaluations use the same standards for performance that my learners encounter for professional licensure or certification. I evaluate my methods for measuring student success and mastery after each course. I strive to create a safe place for my learners to participate and make mistakes. If they are given the opportunity to participate without punishment, they are more likely to participate, and to attempt what they have been studying. Using low stakes quizzes, discussions, and my very favorite- hands on scenarios- have excellent results in my courses. We celebrate mistakes in these scenarios! I frequently use group discussions about text reading assignments, peer reviewed evaluations and numerous team-based scenarios. I use case studies and scenarios in every session, some which I experienced personally. I take great effort to assure these are valuable to learning and not just me telling “war stories”.
I make use of instructional technology such as the learning management systems, and I take time to help those who are not familiar with using that technology. I use technology (or simulate as best as possible) that learners will encounter in the field as much as possible Lecture sessions are important and can contribute to learning. I make sure I construct lectures with student attention span in mind, changing the focus or tempo every 12 minutes or less, and assure content contributes to the lesson/session goals.
I feel it is important to me to be a resource for students after they leave my program/course. I make sure they have the required information to contact me afterward. I frequently hear from former learners, and I enjoy hearing about their encounters in the field. Many I hear from express they feel that I played a large role in preparing them to handle a tough situation that required critical thinking. It always adds a dose of validity and encouragement for me.
I have a deep desire to see my learners succeed, and I find ways to make sure this is reflected in my teaching. I seek out ways to make my class sessions fun, entertaining, rich in content and meaningful to the overall outcomes and course goals. I embrace the challenges I may face with each course, and always seek to improve and learn. This is my craft, my passion, my responsibility and my contribution to the profession I teach and society as a whole.
