SUMMARY

My teaching philosophy includes engaging, challenging, and providing an environment conducive for learning for my students. It is my hope that once students experience the passion and vigor I have for the social sciences, they too will be inspired by the ideas and philosophies that I have come to appreciate through a rich and rewarding education.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING PROCESS

One of the fundamental goals I have for not only my students, but also myself as an instructor is to provide a classroom that is open to communication. Sociology as a topic can be both enthralling and challenging, often exposing students to beliefs and ideologies that they may find foreign or familiar. Students come from a diverse background, and their varied experiences and upbringings are bound to manifest themselves in discussions such as race and gender. It is my goal as an instructor to ensure that the free exchange of ideas can occur amongst students so that opinions can be voiced and thoughts can be heard. The learning process is best when students are able to learn and collaborate with one another. I expect that students endeavor to learn from their peers in addition to their professors.

DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

My professional research experience has allowed me to use specific examples of applied research. I have drawn on the research I have conducted in cancer, dementia, and cognitively impaired population to illustrate the many unique social constructs that affect an individual’s health. For instance, I have students evaluate a local case study where a young girl is mortally wounded in a train crash. Students are presented with information from the perspective of media news reports, and then the official findings from Department of Transportation and another independent authority. Using the information provided, the students have to identify the discrepancies between two entities. The purpose of this exercise is so that students understand how to astutely and intelligently digest information and then critical reflect and develop their own opinions of the outcome.

LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Although I believe a great deal of knowledge transaction occurs in the classroom, I encourage my students to broaden their horizons by applying the information they learn in the classroom to their everyday lives. I expect my students to engage in conversation about culture, diversity, and individual differences outside the classroom with their fellow students, friends, and family members. By encouraging such discussions in the classroom, students are more willing to apply them outside of the classroom.

LIFE-LONG LEARNER

As an educator, I understand the process of learning does not end once you receive a diploma or a degree. With that understanding in mind, I believe that not only will I need to strive as a research scientist, but I will also need to continuously learn and evolve as a pedagogical instructor. It is my intent to make every effort to become a better teacher and to use my interactions with students to achieve that aim.