Teaching

First and foremost, my teaching philosophy is grounded in student-centered learning and in respect and trust for learners. As a nurse educator, I recognize that my role helps shape the future of the nursing profession. I view teaching much like a gardener tending a garden: I create an optimal environment and provide resources for learners to grow, while trusting that each learner will grow in their own unique way. It is the learner’s responsibility to assume ownership of their learning process, while I facilitate an environment grounded in partnership, inquiry, and reflection. These commitments reflect my belief that nursing education must prepare learners to generate and apply evidence with compassion, reflexivity, and a commitment to health equity.

My teaching practice is grounded in student-centered learning, adult learning theory, and embodied learning theories, which emphasize learner autonomy, experiential engagement, and the integration of cognitive and physical processes in meaning-making. I strive to create inclusive, participatory environments where learners draw on their lived experiences, engage actively with course material, and develop critical, reflective practices that extend beyond the classroom. Alongside my diverse teaching and mentorship experiences, I have been honored to be part of the UW-Madison Discussion Project, the UW-Madison Mentoring, Teaching, and Learning Excellence (MTLE) Fellowship, and a Fellow in the UW-Madison Teaching Academy. These experiences have strengthened my reflective teaching practice and reinforced my commitment to continual growth and pedagogical innovation.

Drawing on these frameworks and experiences, my teaching is guided by five core principles: preparation, responsiveness to learner needs, open communication, belonging, and self-care.

Preparation: Intentionally preparing before teaching helps facilitate my presence with learners during teaching sessions and helps enhance the flow of instruction. This has been displayed in my teaching by carefully planning the arc of courses before the semester starts, ensuring that content builds in a logical way, preparing to link classroom content with clinical experiences, preparing for technology needs, and anticipating timing and flow for both in-person and online sessions. This same intentional preparation extends to my work with mentees, where I collaborate with students to establish clear goals, timelines, and milestones that support scholarly growth over time.

In N706: Nursing Research, the course is structured around the 2022–2026 National Institute for Nursing Research Strategic Plan, reflecting its emphasis on advancing health equity through nursing evidence. I selected weekly readings aligned with core research concepts while intentionally foregrounding health equity and social determinants of health. Across multiple offerings of this course, I refined the structure to be increasingly scaffolded and student-centered, informed by student feedback, peer feedback, MTLE experience, and ongoing reflective practice. This intentional design approach is reflected in course evaluations, including: “I valued progression of the course. It was organized in a way where each week built on the last, which was helpful for my understanding of research as a whole.”

Responsiveness to Learner Needs: This principle is central to my student-centered teaching philosophy and is enacted through collaboration, flexibility, and relational teaching. Nursing students bring diverse experiences, identities, and professional goals, which are foundational to Adult Learning Theory. I strive to understand and honor each learner’s background, interests, and aspirations, and to co-create learning experiences that feel meaningful and relevant. In N706 and N447: Scholarship for Evidence-Based Practice, I invite students to share their clinical/research interests during the first week of the course and intentionally support them in selecting topics they genuinely care about for their semester-long projects. In response to MTLE participation, I introduced a “Reflection on Nursing Scholarship” essay to create space for students to connect course content with their unique career goals. This approach parallels my mentorship practice, in which I support students in identifying topics aligned with their values and lived experiences, while guiding them through the research process with increasing independence. As one student reflected: “I valued the step-by-step process of putting a research project that we were passionate about together.”

I also demonstrate responsiveness through intentional feedback loops, including mid-semester surveys, in-class feedback opportunities, post-guest-lecture surveys, and dedicated time for dialogue and questions. For example, when students in N437: Social Justice in Local and Global Settings requested additional opportunities for discussion, I drew upon my learning from the Discussion Project and adapted subsequent classes to include structured think-pair-share activities, strengthening peer learning and engagement. Students noted: “Dr. Miller was very flexible and open to feedback; I felt heard and appreciated in this course.”

Beyond the classroom, I mentor undergraduate honors students and graduate students through individualized, relational teaching. I meet regularly with mentees to support topic refinement, literature exploration, scholarly writing, and dissemination activities such as poster presentations, oral presentations, and manuscripts. Rather than directing projects, I emphasize partnership and coaching, supporting students as they develop confidence, scholarly identity, and autonomy.

Open communication: Clear, honest, and respectful communication is a cornerstone of my teaching practice. This is reflected in carefully written syllabi, consistent Canvas announcements, transparent assignment expectations, and my willingness to acknowledge uncertainty or seek additional information when needed. This commitment to transparency and dialogue extends to mentorship relationships, where I prioritize clarity, timely feedback, and ongoing dialogue to support student learning and growth. Students have reflected this in feedback, such as: “I can tell [Dr. Miller] truly invested her time in making sure students performed well throughout the semester. She was promptly available with all questions regarding assignments, projects, or just general questions. She provided a very warm, open environment in class.”

Belonging: Facilitating psychological safety and belonging is central to my teaching and mentoring philosophy and is strongly informed by Adult Learning Theory and Embodied Learning. I intentionally cultivate learning spaces where students feel seen, valued, and safe to engage authentically. This includes recording a sincere welcome video that acknowledges my intersectional identities and areas of growth; beginning classes with a land acknowledgment; naming ongoing oppression and health inequities; offering encouragement alongside constructive feedback; valuing diverse perspectives; and addressing bias promptly when it arises. Across classroom and mentorship contexts, I incorporate “whole-human-being” check-ins to support relational connection and trust.

This commitment is reflected in consistently high student ratings related to my ability to “foster a safe learning space to ask questions and express opinions” and to create an “inclusive environment where diverse perspectives and ideas were shared”.

Self-care: I view self-care and reflection as foundational practices that support sustained learning, teaching, and scholarly engagement. Through reflective practices and discussions of self-regulation in classroom and mentorship contexts, I support student well-being during intellectually and emotionally demanding work. I also role-model balance and reflective practice as a nurse educator.

Growth and Future Directions

As stated, I am passionate about growing my teaching and mentoring practice, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my career as a nurse educator. The core values within my teaching approach were powerfully reflected in a final evaluation response within N706: “Dr. Miller was a very effective lecturer and leader. Notably, she thrived at creating a safe and inclusive environment that fostered learning and discussion. Throughout the course, she elicited feedback and was intentional about integrating this feedback into the course. As an instructor, Dr. Miller's method and style of communication increased clarity and guided learning. Nursing research is difficult to teach; this course perfectly fused content and practice in an engaging and meaningful way.”

Across repeated offerings of courses such as N706 and N447, I have intentionally refined course structure to be more scaffolded, relational, and student-centered, incorporating formative assignments, clearer milestones, and additional opportunities for feedback and meta-reflection. These iterative improvements have been noted positively in student evaluations and have strengthened my confidence in reflective course design. Looking ahead, my vision includes continued refinement of student-centered and relational teaching practices; expansion of creative, active learning strategies; deeper integration of scholarship and dissemination into coursework; continued growth in mentorship; and sustained engagement in faculty development communities. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue growing as a nurse educator and mentor and to contribute meaningfully to the education of future nurses.