Teaching
Teaching Philosophy
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As an educator, my teaching style consists of a Professionalism Toolkit. Not only do I provide instruction on content and theory as it relates to social work, also on ethics and professional behaviors. Research supports that an atmosphere of diversity, creative thinking & teamwork fosters learning. Therefore, establishing these points at the start of class are intentional and encouraged throughout the semester. According to the National Association of Social Workers (2017) there were over 20K+ social work degrees awarded during 201-2017. With this number, I feel charged to ensure that individuals entering the field are competent and confident in their social work skills. Social Workers have several roles that include advocator, mentor and community organizer. These roles are expected to be interchangeable with various populations and mastered over time. In order to encourage confidence in those areas, service learning, motivational interviewing as well as social justice have become an important part of learning and applying practice skills.
While in practice I have worked with at-risk youth, aging adults and single mothers. During this time I learned the importance of professional behaviors/skills. Those behaviors/skills include: email etiquette, supervisor consultations and time management. These behaviors/skills are introduced and explained on various occasions so that students are aware of their important nature.
My instructional style is that of a demonstrator and/or a coach. It consists of presenting a warm atmosphere of learning through techniques that will support various learning styles. Those techniques consists of active learning with the use of technology, critical & creative thinking prompts, lectures and application to capture “real world” experiences. As an instructor, my role is to find creative methods to stimulate the mind and to encourage learning that will prepare students to become competent and confident social work practitioners.