As an instructor my primary goal is to encourage critical thinking from students and to help them develop skills that will be valuable within and beyond my classroom.  Another significant goal I have is to encourage deeper learning in my courses by engaging students in meaningful interactions with myself, as well as their peers.  When teaching psychology some students may continue within the field, but there are likely many students that will pursue careers in other areas, directing my focus to the development of student’s general skills over fact memorization.

Critical Thinking

I aim to promote the development of critical thinking in my courses and offer students opportunities to build skills that could be utilized in a variety of fields. My lectures, discussions, and assignments are designed to spark questions from students, encouraging them to pay attention to what they are learning and how it could fit into a broader context.  Psychology is constantly evolving as a field, progressive research continues to influence views on established theories as well as presenting novel models, requiring an understanding that delves deeper than surface level memorization of facts.  However, this framework is not unique to psychology.  Most, if not all, fields students will be entering after they graduate will continue to evolve, and their ability to think critically and effectively evaluate new information will be crucial.  I want students to leave my class with more confidence in their ability to critically evaluate information, integrate new material, and understand how to apply theoretical knowledge to their daily tasks.

I plan to help students develop these skills through article critiques and reflection papers. Students will be asked to read and critically evaluate research articles, discuss how the findings support or contradict theories covered in class, and reflect on how that influences their understanding of the theory.  Students will also be required to write a reflection paper connecting a theory covered in class to their own experiences, this paper will also include research found by the student to support the framework they are discussing.  These assignments will provide students with the opportunity to first build their critical thinking skills by evaluating articles provided for them, and then to progress by finding quality research relevant to their interests.  By including these assignments along with traditional exams students will have a variety of opportunities to show what they have learned, from course material to skills in application and critical thinking.

Encouraging Interaction

As an instructor I feel it is my responsibility to utilize the classroom community to its fullest potential, facilitating communication and discussions, to bring topics to life for the students.  Vygotsky’s theory of Social Constructivism highlights the necessity of social interaction to the learning process (Vygotsky, 1980), and research has confirmed that the beneficial effects of interaction in education are extensive, including increased engagement in deep learning strategies (Cleveland-Innes, 2005), greater engagement and motivation (Niemiec & Ryan, 2009), as well as higher attendance and retention rates (Demir et al., 2019).  My goal is to see these positive outcomes for my students by encouraging and facilitating interactions, not only between myself and my students, but also between students and their peers.  I believe that each student brings a unique perspective to all topics and that when those perspectives can be heard with an open mind all participants will benefit.

I intend to offer a variety of opportunities for students to engage in discussions, as not all students will feel confident speaking in front of the class a whole.  While full class discussions will offer students the greatest diversity of perspective, by also including small group and pair discussions all students will be given the opportunity to be heard.  The integration of technology, such as online discussion boards, into the class will also provide an opportunity for students to be more intentional with their responses, giving them time to deliberate on their reply rather than the immediate response that is necessary in a face-to-face discussion.  The purpose of these discussions is to encourage the students to engage with the material more deeply as they prepare to explain and defend their views on the subject.  Additionally, these discussions will provide opportunities for students to share a perspective on a topic that the rest of us may not have considered, encouraging all students to build a respectful and open mind to hear and understand other’s perspectives beyond the classroom.

I look forward to learning from my students and the unique opinions and perspectives they will bring to the topics we explore together.  My hope is that, through the activities and assignments students experience in my class, they will develop skills that will benefit them far beyond the end of the semester and the field of psychology.

Courses that I am Qualified to Teach

PSYC 1101: Introduction to General Psychology

PSYC 2103: Introduction to Human Development

PSYC 3510: Introduction to Research Design and Analysis

PSYC 4040: Developmental PsychologyPSYC 4300: Adolescent Psychology