Philosophy of Teaching Statement
I believe teaching is a privilege because when those who are committed and dedicated to the growth and enhancement of learners, they are providing a gift that can never be taken away. For example, no matter how significant and devastating a robbery, divorce, bankruptcy, or house fire may be, a person’s education can never be lost or taken away. This permanent element of a person’s life is what can allow people to make positive contributions to society regardless of the field in which their education lies, enables a person to make a living for themselves, and hopefully presents the opportunity for people to give back by teaching others in some type of capacity. For this, it is among the greatest of honors to play a role in the obtainment of a person’s education and to facilitate personal growth which is undoubtedly accompanied by enriched learning.
In terms of my specific role in how I plan to teach others, I believe it all comes down to strategically knowing how to fulfill the role of a facilitator while also understanding the various ways in which people learn. I believe it is my responsibility as the educator to explain, discuss, and present the essential information and then provide my students with the necessary tools and means of applying and processing the new information into meaningful knowledge that can be retained for future use. After all, students expect and deserve to work with warm and enthusiastic faculty who will not only teach, but guide and support them on their journey through nursing (Johnson-Farmer & Frenn, 2009). I imagine the spotlight being more on my students than on myself as I take more of the foundational, supportive, motivating, and encouraging role while my students actively navigate, problem-solve, and critically think their ways through the complex woods of nursing knowledge which will ultimately lead them to their “aha moments” and invaluable instances of discovery. With that comes the belief that each participating individual will learn from each other, including the learning that occurs on my behalf as a result from interacting with my students. As Billings and Halstead (2012) point out, the teacher is no longer the expert but instead is someone who joins with the student in the learning process. I will be there to celebrate student successes while also looking out for those who are in need of rescuing by providing early, private identification of those needing improvement and supplying the resources available to offer assistance and support for struggling students.
My classroom will be one that values diversity, respecting the opinions of others, and will be an example of a lively, interactive student environment in which students will be working together towards achievement of the class objectives in their own, individual ways as supported by the differentiated teaching/learning theory. Open class discussions, small-group projects, and individual assessment tests will be ways in which evaluation of successful achievement of the class objectives will be determined. While I can appreciate the importance and value of group work and do not believe that effective learning can take place without it, I continue to believe that comprehensive, and individual assessments of learning (regardless of specific method), are necessary to include as part of my teaching style to determine the effectiveness of my teaching. Use of 21st century teaching strategies will be most reliable in enabling students to take control of their own learning as lectures and PowerPoints will no longer be part of the educational environment. Tomorrow’s classrooms will require pre-classroom preparatory work that will provide the basis for which classroom activities will build on and student learning will develop. This will allow for a dynamic and engaging classroom in which students will become the leaders and bloom into knowledgeable and skillful care providers. Formative assessments will be routinely used to guide students through the progression of their learning and assist in the maintenance of the respected, cordial teacher-student relationships.
Since the art and science of nursing are treasured concepts that are related to the field of humanities, students will have a beginning understanding of the core foundations of such concepts including the meaning of caring and compassion as it relates to how I, the educator, model those qualities through my teaching and development of rapport with my students. By experiencing these qualities first hand, students will understand how to apply them in the clinical setting with their own patients. They will not be able to leave my classroom without a true understanding of the caring and compassionate nature required to be an effective care provider. Naturally, this cannot be accomplished without the accompaniment of caring and supportive educators. For this, I will whole-heartedly invest my time and efforts into the success of my students by not only making myself available to them to offer additional assistance as needed, but to also provide sincere and thoughtful feedback as we progress through the course together. By convincing students that our relationship is more of a bond that includes two-way dialogue rather than one-way lecturing, students should feel empowered to utilize this style of teaching to gain new understandings and further flourish as the future of the nursing profession.
The only way in which I can continue to make a difference in the lives of my students is by promoting my own professional growth and by remaining current in both my teaching and clinical practices. I will hold myself accountable for staying up to date on the latest evidence-based practices related to my teaching content and also maintain all of my present credentials as required. I will be sure that I am always held to the latest standards of academic teaching and will seek assistance from colleagues if issues regarding best practices arise. In terms of present and future goals for myself, in addition to maintaining my credentials, I will strive to hold a position for myself in nursing education and establish myself as an admired educator. In spite of the great hurdles that are presented between my current standing and that of an established educator, I plan to utilize my resources, learn from colleagues and students, and become an inspirational, energizing, and evolving nursing educator. This will demonstrate my passion for life-long learning that will hopefully allow me to be better suited to instill the values of life-long learning in my students as this is a highly valued and respected quality that is expected of tomorrow’s nursing population.
I believe teaching is a privilege because when those who are committed and dedicated to the growth and enhancement of learners, they are providing a gift that can never be taken away. For example, no matter how significant and devastating a robbery, divorce, bankruptcy, or house fire may be, a person’s education can never be lost or taken away. This permanent element of a person’s life is what can allow people to make positive contributions to society regardless of the field in which their education lies, enables a person to make a living for themselves, and hopefully presents the opportunity for people to give back by teaching others in some type of capacity. For this, it is among the greatest of honors to play a role in the obtainment of a person’s education and to facilitate personal growth which is undoubtedly accompanied by enriched learning.
In terms of my specific role in how I plan to teach others, I believe it all comes down to strategically knowing how to fulfill the role of a facilitator while also understanding the various ways in which people learn. I believe it is my responsibility as the educator to explain, discuss, and present the essential information and then provide my students with the necessary tools and means of applying and processing the new information into meaningful knowledge that can be retained for future use. After all, students expect and deserve to work with warm and enthusiastic faculty who will not only teach, but guide and support them on their journey through nursing (Johnson-Farmer & Frenn, 2009). I imagine the spotlight being more on my students than on myself as I take more of the foundational, supportive, motivating, and encouraging role while my students actively navigate, problem-solve, and critically think their ways through the complex woods of nursing knowledge which will ultimately lead them to their “aha moments” and invaluable instances of discovery. With that comes the belief that each participating individual will learn from each other, including the learning that occurs on my behalf as a result from interacting with my students. As Billings and Halstead (2012) point out, the teacher is no longer the expert but instead is someone who joins with the student in the learning process. I will be there to celebrate student successes while also looking out for those who are in need of rescuing by providing early, private identification of those needing improvement and supplying the resources available to offer assistance and support for struggling students.
My classroom will be one that values diversity, respecting the opinions of others, and will be an example of a lively, interactive student environment in which students will be working together towards achievement of the class objectives in their own, individual ways as supported by the differentiated teaching/learning theory. Open class discussions, small-group projects, and individual assessment tests will be ways in which evaluation of successful achievement of the class objectives will be determined. While I can appreciate the importance and value of group work and do not believe that effective learning can take place without it, I continue to believe that comprehensive, and individual assessments of learning (regardless of specific method), are necessary to include as part of my teaching style to determine the effectiveness of my teaching. Use of 21st century teaching strategies will be most reliable in enabling students to take control of their own learning as lectures and PowerPoints will no longer be part of the educational environment. Tomorrow’s classrooms will require pre-classroom preparatory work that will provide the basis for which classroom activities will build on and student learning will develop. This will allow for a dynamic and engaging classroom in which students will become the leaders and bloom into knowledgeable and skillful care providers. Formative assessments will be routinely used to guide students through the progression of their learning and assist in the maintenance of the respected, cordial teacher-student relationships.
Since the art and science of nursing are treasured concepts that are related to the field of humanities, students will have a beginning understanding of the core foundations of such concepts including the meaning of caring and compassion as it relates to how I, the educator, model those qualities through my teaching and development of rapport with my students. By experiencing these qualities first hand, students will understand how to apply them in the clinical setting with their own patients. They will not be able to leave my classroom without a true understanding of the caring and compassionate nature required to be an effective care provider. Naturally, this cannot be accomplished without the accompaniment of caring and supportive educators. For this, I will whole-heartedly invest my time and efforts into the success of my students by not only making myself available to them to offer additional assistance as needed, but to also provide sincere and thoughtful feedback as we progress through the course together. By convincing students that our relationship is more of a bond that includes two-way dialogue rather than one-way lecturing, students should feel empowered to utilize this style of teaching to gain new understandings and further flourish as the future of the nursing profession.
The only way in which I can continue to make a difference in the lives of my students is by promoting my own professional growth and by remaining current in both my teaching and clinical practices. I will hold myself accountable for staying up to date on the latest evidence-based practices related to my teaching content and also maintain all of my present credentials as required. I will be sure that I am always held to the latest standards of academic teaching and will seek assistance from colleagues if issues regarding best practices arise. In terms of present and future goals for myself, in addition to maintaining my credentials, I will strive to hold a position for myself in nursing education and establish myself as an admired educator. In spite of the great hurdles that are presented between my current standing and that of an established educator, I plan to utilize my resources, learn from colleagues and students, and become an inspirational, energizing, and evolving nursing educator. This will demonstrate my passion for life-long learning that will hopefully allow me to be better suited to instill the values of life-long learning in my students as this is a highly valued and respected quality that is expected of tomorrow’s nursing population.