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Below I have reflected on my own teaching and learning philosophy, which has been informed by personal experience as well as the knowledge and experiences I have gained in Educational Principles and Practices in Occupational Therapy (Fall 2024).
My Unique Identity as an Educator
My Unique Identity as an Educator
Education is essential for each and every one of us and is something I feel strongly about. I feel privileged to be in a position to be an educator for those around me and acknowledge how important this role is. My teaching philosophy is informed by years of personal experience as well as professional knowledge I have gained while in this program. As a multi-modal and experiential learner, I see the value in and recognize the importance of each learning style. By creating multidimensional learning experiences, my aim is to be able to provide information and deliverables in a way that is accessible to all those present. Naturally, I bring in some of my own personality and strengths into my teaching style as I tend to lead with a positive attitude, outgoing and energetic presence, and a will to strive for creativity. Specifically, I am comfortable and confident in keeping up with the evolving technological advances that are present in higher education today. I recognize the role of these creative online tools play in providing an accessible mode of learning as well as facilitating social connection, which is crucial for learners' resilience and wellbeing. Therefore, I spend time learning about the different ways I can use technology to my advantage in creating a universal design and accessible learning experiences. I also believe that using these tools should be balanced with experiential learning. For this reason, spending time outdoors is another aspect I feel is important for all of our learning and is something I plan to take with me as I eventually step into the role of an educator. Through this approach, I wish for my learners to walk away with a learning experience that has been memorable, informative, and fun.
The Core of Effective Teaching
The Core of Effective Teaching
Throughout this course we have had rich opportunities to practice our skills as an educator and learn what makes an activity effective for learners. I believe that at the core of effective teaching is kindness, compassion, collaboration, and trust between the learner and the educator. The individuals in each of these roles hold valuable information that should be shared, aligning with the idea of "ask before you tell". In addition, at the core lies the need to be flexible and adapt how the information is being delivered. Effectively communicating information to the learner is another core piece that requires the educator to use simple language and to be competent in their ability to provide different explanations or modes of delivery. The last and most important core pieces of effective teaching is actively listening to and prioritizing the learner's needs. Continuously checking in with the learner will allow for me as the educator to find ways to make learning experiences more meaningful. As an OT, all of these things are so important as the information being shared with our learners/clients plays a significant role in a their overall health and wellbeing. When I work with clients in the future and have these educational interactions, I want them to walk away with more confidence in themselves and their abilities. Navigating the different barriers we face in our lives can be scary, however I wish to support my clients through this time by providing them with reliable and accurate information that they can realistically use in all areas of their lives. My hope is that each client I work with will walk away with an enjoyable and memorable experience as well as the ability to utilize information I have provided to promote their health and wellbeing.
"A great teacher is someone who can learn from their students, who can learn with them, and learns for them."
- Robert John Meehan
Interactions Between My Roles of "Therapist" and "Educator"
Interactions Between My Roles of "Therapist" and "Educator"
With the knowledge I have gained in my time in this program, I have come to understand how tightly intertwined our roles of therapist and educator are. Education is a huge piece of our work as OTs in that our facilitation of participation in meaningful occupations is reliant on our ability to educate our clients on important information. In clinical practice, I am committed to integrating my teaching beliefs, skills, and strengths to prioritize the client's needs and goals. I will do this by creating different modes of information delivery and an environment that is welcoming and aligned with the client's interests. Specifically, I will use my therapeutic use of self and active listening skills to understand the client's knowledge that they bring in and collaborate to find the best way to adapt the means in whcih I am delivering the information to fit their needs. Providing opportunity for choices and being willing to adapt my plan that I have will be critical for their connection with the information. I will also be mindful about using simple language so that everyone can be on the same page. Finally, if I were educating a client on a handout, I would ensure that this handout was designed in such a way that the font was large, easy to read and include relevant pictures that will help guide the client following our session together. Moving forward with humility and an open mind will serve me well when educating clients within my role as a future OT.
Click on the link below to view an artifact from my team teaching project this semester on educating counseling psychology graduate students at DUC on the role of OT and interprofessional collaboration between our two fields:
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