Teaching Philosophy

In my courses, I aim to utilize effective pedagogical strategies that not only support students' learning but also equip them with approaches they can apply in their own future teaching endeavors and careers. My teaching philosophy is guided by three core principles: 1) Fostering an inclusive and supportive community of learners; 2) Encouraging active, student-centered learning; and 3) Offering constructive feedback and mentorship to advance students' success both inside and outside the classroom. 

Courses

The Ohio State University

Graduate

ESEPSY 7403: Motivation in Learning and Teaching 

ESEPSY 7404: College Teaching 

ESEPSY 8408: Race, Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism in Education and Psychology 

ESEPSY 7405: Social Basis of Behavior in Education 

Undergraduate and Graduate (Combined)

ESEPSY 5401: Adolescent Learning and Development in School Contexts

Students' Comments from Course Evaluations

"I thought Dr. Yu did such an amazing job with showing compassion and caring about her students and the subject matter she was teaching, personally wanting each and every one of us in the class to be set up for success and achieve great goals going forward. I looked forward to going to her class every Wednesday and am super fortunate I got the opportunity to receive all those experiences I gained throughout the semester from my time in the class."

"Dr. Yu is a fantastic professor. One of the best I've had in all my years at OSU. She engages students in the material, she's incredibly well–prepared, she's empathetic, helpful and I could go on. OSU is lucky to have her."

"I really like this class and it has helped me understand adolescent psychology and learning habits, as well as how I can apply this knowledge into my future classrooms. Dr. Yu was one of the best professors I've had at Ohio State so far, and she was perfect for this course!"

"This course was fantastic! I thought that the overall organization, from the in–class activities to the semester modules were all very effective. I especially liked some of the readings that were selected...I also really liked that the assignments for the course were varied and I felt they were extremely relevant. For example, having us do a micro–teaching lesson was helpful to get some hands on experience with planning, drafting, and executing a lesson, which has certainly helped with making me feel more confident about my own teaching abilities. Thank you so much for all your energy and time with this course!"

"This course is one of the best graduate courses I’ve taken across multiple universities and disciplines. The instructor clearly cared that we learned and understood the material and did a great job of engaging the entire class through discussion and group work. The assignments were very relevant and useful for our progression in our respective graduate programs. I appreciated the structure of the course and it was a great model of what a classroom should look like when students are engaged and learning the material. I believe that some of the most important things learned in the class were the subtleties that were modeled each week in class. Thank you for a great class!"

"This course with Dr. Yu this past semester has been an exceptional example of how graduate courses ought to be taught. Dr. Yu allowed us to lead the course, creating an awesome atmosphere of co–constructed knowledge among our peers. I sincerely appreciate that the coursework load was evenly dispersed throughout the semester, so that this course was never truly stressful. This course was something to look forward to every Monday evening. I would always leave feeling stimulated and inspired to integrate more socially–just perspectives on race and ethnicity in my own research."

Mentees

Teaching Awards

The Ohio State University

2025 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching 

College of Education and Human Ecology

2018 Distinguished Teaching Award

University of Houston

2011 Teaching Excellence Award

     Group Teaching in the Undergraduate Core

2006 Teaching Excellence Award

College of Education

2007 Faculty Technology in Teaching Award – Master

2004 Teaching Excellence Award 

2001 Teaching Excellence Award

Department of Educational Psychology

2007 Faculty Technology in Teaching Award