Becky Colaw, MS
Who Am I?
Hi Everyone! I am so excited to have you in my class. My name is Becky Colaw, and I am totally fine with you calling me Becky, but you can call me Mrs. Colaw (except that's my mother-in-law) or Professor Colaw also. I have been teaching at Bakersfield College since fall of 2018 as an adjunct, and began my full-time career at BC in fall of 2022. Prior to that time, I worked in foster care and adoptions for the majority of my career which started in 1994 when I did an internship with Child Welfare Services and then was hired full time. Initially I worked in all areas because we were not specialized, but when we specialized I mostly did adoptions. I have also worked in private foster care here in California. I also did a short stint (one school year) as a school social worker, and I ran a teen parenting program for a few years as well. I never imagined I would be teaching college, but an opportunity presented as an adjunct and I LOVED it! I am passionate about psychology and feel it is beneficial for absolutely any career. You will have an opportunity to learn so much about yourself and about others.
I obtained my bachelor's degree in 1995 in behavioral sciences at a small liberal arts college in Oklahoma; today it is called Oklahoma Wesleyan University. I then went back to graduate school many years later and obtained my master's in psychology through Capella University.
On a personal note, I have been married since 1993, and my husband and I have four amazing children who we raised. We added a fantastic daughter-in-law to our family in 2020, and a second amazing daughter-in-law will be joining the family in August of 2024. We are currently empty nesters as our youngest graduated in June and moved to Ecuador for a year. I have loved being a mom and feel a little lost with no kids at home, though I'm getting more and more used to the freedom.
Our family is active and busy. We enjoy each other a lot. We like to go on adventures; you can see some examples in the pictures. We tried really hard to raise our children to love God and love others, and they are all serving their communities in some capacity, and for that, I am very grateful.
I am super excited to get to know each of you in the coming semester. I know how overwhelming college can be, and I am here to help you succeed and to see you pursue and achieve your goals. I hope you will stay after class to talk or come visit me at office hours.
Here we go - let this learning adventure begin!
Teaching Philosophy
Here are some summary points of my teaching philosophy:
I believe classroom community is important and that it is my job to model that. I want to develop a relationship with students and encourage students to develop relationships with each other. On my end, I will be available to students and be intentional about getting to know them. I believe students will experience that I care about them and their future, which will encourage their learning.
I like Vygotsky’s social learning theory and think having students work collaboratively is extremely helpful, and it facilitates students building relationships with each other. I usually limit group work to classroom activities because group work can be challenging for various reasons.
Because students learn in different ways and bring different strengths and challenges to learning, it is important for my teaching to reflect various learning styles, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning.
The relevancy of the information is also very important, so I do my best to incorporate application assignments and discussions to help facilitate the learning process. I also use a lot of storytelling based on my professional history that helps make the curriculum practical.
Office Hours
Location: BC Southwest Room 206 and Zoom
Monday: 9:45 am - 11:15 am
Tuesday: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:45 am - 11:15 am
If you need a meeting outside this time, email me and we can make arrangements or set up a zoom time.
Education Pact
What You Can Expect From Me:
I will attempt to get to know you individually and will provide opportunities for learning in ways that meet different learning styles.
I will provide an accepting and supportive environment where you can be yourself.
I will teach the curriculum in a relevant way, providing opportunities for you to practice application, and I will encourage you to stretch yourself as you grow and develop.
I will provide relevant feedback on your assignments in a reasonable amount of time.
I will respond to your emails within 24 hours during the work week. Most of the time I will respond in the same amount of time over the weekend, but sometimes I need a break, too, and will wait until Monday.
What I Will Expect From You:
If this is an online course, you will log into the course each week by Monday evening and peruse the content for the week. If this is an in person course, you will do your best to attend class regularly and communicate when you need to be absent.
You will organize your schedule to meet the due dates for assignments in the course.
You will have all materials needed, specifically textbook(s) and note taking materials.
You will communicate with your instructor as soon as you are struggling with the content of the learning or if you are having trouble meeting the deadlines.
You will approach this course with an "I can do it" attitude, ready to stretch yourself and grow in your understanding of the content.
Supports for You
There are many resources on campus that you should know about and access if needed. Here is a partial list that will continue to grow:
Go to the Academic Resources Page and scroll to the bottom for Canvas support.
The Renegade Hub can also help with Canvas and other online learning needs.
This is the Library, which you will need to access for research purposes, and the library offers support in the research process.
This will guide you to the Student Health and Wellness Center should you need assistance with any physical or mental health needs.
Here you will find the Disabled Student Student Programs and Services. They can assist you with any needed accommodations if you have a disability. This is helpful if you were an an individualized education plan in high school OR had a 504 plan OR if you think you may qualify for either.
Information for the Tutoring Center can be found here, and information for the Writing Center can be found here, and for the Math Learning Center here.
The Renegade Pantry is available to help with basic needs including food, clothing, hygiene, and personal care.
