My Teaching Philosophy

Teaching and learning about human psychology are passions that I have managed to engage in
throughout my adult life, even when they were not one of the primary responsibilities of my work.
To me, learning is about endless curiosity, personal exploration, and challenging of preconceived
ideas and notions. Its as much about developing and growing as a person as it is about
increasing knowledge and skills, which is likely why I have always been drawn to the study of
human behaviour. Its my belief that learning extends beyond the formal classroom environment
and permeates every aspect of life. Its about asking provocative questions, gathering new
information, comparing it to what you already know, and deciding whether or not you can
assimilate the new information into your existing views, or whether your views need to be reformed
to reflect the new information. In this way, learning is not separated from the real world in which
we live; rather it occurs within a context that is as authentic as possible. As a result, learning is
deep and meaningful. It results in a significant long-term shift in the way we think, behave, and feel
within our own lives.
My role as a teacher is to cultivate curiosity by engaging the students in the exploration of
stimulating questions, rather than simply disseminating course content. I dont need to have all of
the answers, although a meaningful mastery of psychology is important. What I do have to have,
however, are good questions. It is through the discussion and debate of such questions that
curiosity is inspired and students personally connect to the information in order to deepen their
understanding. Its not uncommon in my classroom to find students standing on a line to
represent their view on a controversial topic, debating their diverse perspectives from their various
stances on the line. We might also watch a video which elicits strong reactions, and then discuss
those reactions first in smaller groups, next as a whole class. By arousing student curiosity,
learning occurs almost as a secondary consequence of the desire to find out why people behave
the way that they do and the world works as it does. Learning is more about the journey, than it is
about the destination.
It follows, then, that I strongly believe in a learner-centred approach to teaching and learning,
which is communicated to my students from the first day of classes. I explain that my courses
have been created for them, designed to engage their critical thinking and self-reflection skills, and
that they will get as much out of the experience as they put into it. With learning as a journey, I
compare my teaching role to that of a highly knowledgeable tour-guide who is about to take them
on an expedition of intellectual discovery, highlighting astounding facts and striking scenery along
the way. Together, the students and I proceed to develop a set of classroom agreements for our
journey, that will form the foundation for a respectful and caring environment in which students will
be as comfortable learning about themselves as they will about the course content. Names are
learned and used as quickly as possible, through the use of name cards, so that each of the
students feels they are a welcomed and important member of the classroom community. I pride
myself on my ability to connect with my students on a personal level, and to respond to their
questions and concerns in a respectful and timely manner.
The learner-centred approach to our excursion is reinforced throughout my courses, as I
continually encourage students to investigate the relevance and usefulness of the information

discovered at each of our stops along the way. By way of example, the concepts of empathy,
altruism and compassion are investigated through the completion of five random acts of kindness,
at least two of which must be done anonymously. The concept of intelligence testing is explored
through the completion of four online assessments, after which students identify their strengths
and indicate practical ways to use their newly discovered strengths. Group assignments offer
students a choice as to which topics they wish to more closely examine, and an opportunity to test
their own psychological hypotheses as they conduct experiments of their own design.
Assessment of learning does not mean asking students to simply reiterate or regurgitate facts
that have been shared along our journey. Instead, it means allowing learners to demonstrate in
diverse ways how they have been personally and professionally affected as a result of our
experiences together. Thus, there are no tests in my classes; instead, learning is formally
assessed through authentic assignments involving critical reflections, experiential opportunities,
and personal narratives. In creating an eportfolio, for example, students select or create
meaningful artifacts that not only reflect their preferred or dominant learning style, but that also
best demonstrate their functional understanding of what they have learned. Assignments involving
critical reflection and experiential activities are designed to solicit personal exploration of key
concepts, as well as application of those concepts to real-world environments. Grading
emphasizes the students ability to think about their own thinking and learning, rather than
accentuating more traditional goals, such as accuracy of spelling.
To be impactful, an expedition should involve the collection of experiences from a variety of
different places; thus, I recognize that I am not the sole source of wisdom in the classroom.
Significant learning can and should also occur between students, as well as from students back to
me. Virtual walls are used both in online and in face-to-face courses so that students can post and
read peer suggestions for, and experiences with, the application of course content. Big class
discussions are a great opportunity to exchange opinions, while assisting all of us to become more
enlightened on the diversity of perspectives that exist. Smaller group discussions provide a safe
venue for more reserved students to have a voice and to reap the benefits of peer-to-peer
interaction. These discussions also allow me to circulate the classroom in order to have more
intimate discussions with students who might not otherwise engage with me in a big group
environment. Students are also encouraged to send me links, videos or articles that are related to
the themes being explored, some of which in turn are integrated into the class content.
Every aspect of my teaching centres around a desire to provoke student curiosity, promote student
engagement and guide student discovery. Thus, I find myself in a perpetual state of self-reflection,
after each presentation, activity, class, semester and year. I continually challenge myself to evaluate
what worked and what didnt work, to look for any emerging themes and patterns, and to seek to
optimize the learning experiences. Thus far, I have discovered that students enjoy using game-based
activities and interactive classroom response systems, but that they do not enjoy presenting information
to the class or listening to lengthy presentations. This ongoing evaluation process guides my teaching
practice, both in real-time and upon reflection, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
New theories, new ideas, new concepts, new discoveries and new technologies are all waiting to be
woven into my classroom expeditions in order to facilitate deep and meaningful long-term shifts in the
way my students think, behave and feel within their own lives.