Core Beliefs
At the heart of my teaching philosophy lies a simple but powerful conviction: Students learn best when they care about what they are learning. My fundamental purpose as an educator is to help students connect with their learning in meaningful, personally relevant ways. Within the context of nursing education, where the stakes are deeply human, helping students care about knowledge is essential for fostering both competence and compassion.
I view learning as an active, collaborative process between student and instructor. Students must take responsibility for engaging with the material in good faith, and faculty must work to remove unnecessary barriers and cultivate environments where all students can succeed. True learning cannot occur passively; it requires curiosity, effort, and shared commitment.
I believe that there is no single “best” way to teach or to learn. Drawing from models like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Differentiated Instruction (DI), I design courses that allow students to engage with material on their own terms. Faculty serve as guides and mapmakers, creating opportunities and offering structure, but ultimately it is the learner who must take an active role in their journey toward mastery.
Teaching and Implementation
In practice, I strive to balance high academic expectations with the thoughtful removal of unnecessary obstacles to learning. My approach emphasizes project-based learning and the creation of flexible, inclusive pathways that allow students to tailor assignments to their individual goals, interests, and experiences. When possible, I invite students to help shape their own learning deliverables, selecting the focus, format, or medium that best aligns with their professional and personal aspirations.
A commitment to diversity and inclusion informs my course design. I work to incorporate a range of voices and perspectives within course materials, and to embed accessibility and flexibility at every stage of instruction. Whether through multimodal assignments, diverse resources, or varied participation options, I aim to create a classroom culture that honors different ways of knowing and expressing understanding.
Technology plays an important but purposeful role in my teaching. While I currently teach online, I do not use technology for its own sake, nor do I avoid it for simplicity’s sake. Each teaching context, online, hybrid, or in-person, requires thoughtful integration of technology to enhance, rather than complicate, the learning experience.
Assessment and Feedback
My approach to assessment is guided by the principle of alignment: the methods used to evaluate learning should match the goals of instruction. I employ both conventional and progressive forms of assessment, including rubrics, project evaluations, and competency-based measures. I am also interested in exploring ungrading and other reflective approaches that emphasize growth and mastery over point accumulation.
Assessment in my courses often takes the form of projects, discussions, and multimedia deliverables such as videos, written analyses, or concept maps. Whenever possible, I give students options in how they demonstrate learning, encouraging them to leverage their strengths and professional contexts. My first step in every element of assignment design is "what do students need to know?" This enables me to avoid instructive or assessment elements that are conventional but sub-optimal for student learning in that specific context.
Feedback is central to my teaching practice. I provide detailed, constructive responses through the tools provided by our learning management system, often supplemented with audio or video comments for greater personalization. When students encounter challenges, I reach out proactively and meet with them synchronously to offer individualized support.
Growth and Development
Teaching, like nursing itself, is a practice of continuous learning. I actively engage in scholarship and research related to educational design, technology integration, and innovative teaching methods in nursing education. Collaborating with colleagues, I explore emerging technologies and models that can enhance teaching and learning. I also participate regularly in professional conferences and remain current with literature in both nursing and education. In addition, I conduct annual self-reviews, revisiting my student evaluations, course outcomes, and portfolio materials to identify areas for continued improvement.
Over time, my teaching philosophy has evolved from a more structured approach to one informed by UDL and DI. These frameworks now form the foundation of how I teach, learn, and design educational experiences. Ultimately, I view my professional development as a balance of scholarship, reflection, and practice, each informing the other. My goal is to continue growing as an educator who empowers students to take ownership of their learning, who removes barriers to understanding, and who helps future nurses not only know more, but care more deeply about what they learn and the people they serve.
Asriadi, A. M., Hadi, S., Istiyono, E., & Retnawati, H. (2023). Does differentiated instruction affect learning outcome? Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 7(5), 18-33. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202322021
Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems ([CAST], 2024). Universal design for learning guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org