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My Teaching Philosophy
I entered the classroom with the conviction that it was crucial for me and every other student to be an active participant, not a passive consumer… [a conception of] education as the practice of freedom…. education that connects the will to know with the will to become. ~ bell hooks ~
Learning is not so much an additive process, with new learning simply piling up on top of existing knowledge, as it is an active, dynamic process in which the connections are constantly changing and the structure reformatted. ~ K. Patricia Cross ~
I believe it is important to cultivate the leaders who will critically analyze and change the academy in the future. Specifically, I encourage graduate students to engage in this “active” and “dynamic process” of research, scholarship, administration and service and foster their own “will to become”. In order to do this, I employ various methods of connecting theory, practice, and reflexivity, as I believe this connection is imperative as graduate students foster critical thinking skills and make change across the field of higher education and as qualitative researchers & practitioner-scholars.
In qualitative methods courses, for example, it is important for students to have an opportunity to step through their own research project through collecting fieldnotes, interviewing, diving into the data, crafting analysis, understanding the iterative process of working with a research team, and writing a research paper. Issues of social justice, diversity, and educational equity are also as important to my teaching as they are to my research. Students who are interested in public policy, research, and administrator positions must consider these issues in their scholarship and daily lives.
I have published with numerous doctoral & masters students throughout the years and have encouraged students to submit their articles to journals, edited volumes and professional magazines throughout the field. A number of advisees have had their work published and this is an important way for graduate students to become engaged in the field. This includes the QualLab Graduate Student Board who had a publication accepted for a ranked journal after a year’s worth of work toward that end – exciting!
Another topic on people’s minds these days is AI in teaching and learning. Ohio State has a fairly comprehensive site on AI in Teaching & Learning. The resource was created by the Drake Institute, University Libraries, and the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing. I hope this is useful for faculty and students.
In sum, I believe that teaching and mentoring students are paramount in the preparation of the next generation of scholars, policy makers and administrators in the field of higher education and student affairs. I learn from the students and mentees and they (hopefully) learn from me. It is my job, and life’s work, to continue to educate myself and students, in order to make positive change through connecting theory with practice in the academy. My approach is to engage students in this dynamic process of teaching and learning through an intentional connection between theory, practice, and reflexivity so students may apply this information in their lives.
The need for mentorship does NOT end when you’re a doctoral student! I was mentored – and continue to be mentored – throughout my career by my dissertation committee and beyond. I mentor people at my institution and across the country. I continually learn from others as we all have important knowledge to share, learn from each other and help each other navigate careers (& life).