Statement of FYE Teaching Philosophy

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey

I have always loved going to school and learning, even as a small child.  I often joke that I went into higher education so that I never had to stop.  My own personal passion about learning is what also makes me a great teacher – my enthusiasm for the subject, and for act of learning itself, helps me to reach students.  I realized years ago that Jim Henson said it best: “[Kids] don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.”  Something that comes up again in my student evaluations, and thank you cards I am given, is that it wasn’t so much what I was teaching that helped my students, but how I did it.  They knew I cared, and that I wanted to be there for them – and that was what made them pay attention.

One of the things we teach in First Year Experience (FYE) is Self-Awareness.  We have students do different assessments, and learn about who they are, and how it matches their career. This is a week I love, because I talk to students about being themselves – being authentically who they are and true to what they want to do.  Skills and abilities are important, but they have to really want to do what they are pursuing. Helping students see that it’s okay to do the thing they love is incredibly important, and a part of all decisions I make in the classroom. I lost that for a while, but I’m finding it again.

Teaching is always to be learning.  Students’ behavior has been changing – they are exposed to more tech than ever, and yet they may not even know the basics.  They have lived through Covid, and that has changed their social skills.  Each semester is a new challenge, because the students are so much different than before.  In that, my philosophy for teaching is to be flexible, and try new things.  I want to engage them, online and in the classroom.  Therefore, I plan to switch up how I am teaching and look at what works the most. It’s something I hope to continue to improve throughout my future years as a professor.

Professional Development is extremely important to be the best teacher I can be. As I say, I always want to learn something new. Getting a new certificate or degree that is relevant to what I teach is a great way to do that.  Professional Development that also helps me become a better teacher than before is just as important. I’m always seeking out new opportunities and online webinars in things that will help me improve, not only in the areas I enjoy, but also in areas in which I know I am not doing my best.

I believe that community and working together with your coworkers is also always to your advantage. Collaboration on projects, or new ideas is a fun way to look at what works for who, and how you might shape that assignment just a bit differently. I love sharing what I’ve made with others who will use it and enjoy it.  Learning from fellow professors, and seeing what they do in their classroom, is a great way to get inspired.  I also love to do trainings and webinars where I share my own ideas.

I am lucky in teaching FYE, because it covers such a wide range of subjects.  I am able to incorporate things more easily than some classes/subjects might.  This class is also unique in that we are working to build the students’ soft skills as well – things that will benefit them in their personal life as well as their professional one.  To that end, I believe that helping them to take a moment, to pause and reflect on their life in general, is important. And so each class we spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness.

I often hear people say if they struck it rich, they would quit their job. I’ve never once thought I would – I love what I do, and I know that I am so lucky in that.  Teaching is my dream job.  I want help others chase their dreams, with full understanding of what they are pursuing. I want to help people learn who they are, and that they can be the person they want to be. Whether a traditional students straight from high school, or a non-traditional student in their 40s, I want them to know that they are valued, and each deserve their dreams. As I teach them the soft skills, and some hard skills, that are necessary to their college and professional life – I want them to feel empowered and confident.