As a student of science for much of my post-secondary education I was primarily exposed to lecture-based instruction and then laboratory type practice of the information covered in the lecture.  Luckily, I am a student who is motivated by a lecture setting and is able to use that as one piece that works together with reading and hands-on to bring a topic clarity.  This method served me well and, therefore, forms the basis of my teaching style now.  I, however, also completed an undergraduate degree in history and learned how powerful it can be for the student to have a voice in their education.  While the structure of most history classes outlined the eras we were studying, each student was usually able to choose their research topic for the assignment.  For me this peaked my interest and kept me engaged when researching and writing long papers. Bringing these two phases of my education together with the concepts I am learning in the AET program, my philosophy is clearly a combination of those I have been exposed to already.

 

Values Clarification

In reviewing how I approach my college students, I feel that I have a good handle on my values and am able to act on them consistently.  In general, I feel that my students have chosen to pursue this course of study and I owe them the best education I can provide.  To that end, I hold to the tenet “no initial grade is ever final.”  For me, grades are an important communication tool that lets both parties know where things stand.  I am able to gain knowledge as to where a student may be having trouble and the student is able to see not only where they are struggling but also my expectation level.  All assignments are open for revision/resubmission.  What good is it to have students get one chance at an exam and then not review the material again until they retake the course in a future semester?  Reinforcing the information in the short term helps them learn quicker and likely be prepared to move on by the end of the semester.

 

To further the point of honoring a student’s decision, I am keenly aware that I teach in a program that while not entirely vocational, the focus is on the skill set they will need when they graduate and join the work force.   It is important for me to teach these students what they need to know for life in the “real world.”  There is an accrediting body that has a skills list that all students must complete and a national exam most students will take to gain credentials.  The test focuses much more on the science behind the information than the hands-on.  I work to prepare students for this exam but balance it with the real world knowledge and skill set.  This piece of my philosophy follows to every area where I am an educator.

 

Valuing my students also leads to being able to work with them to seek alternatives that will work best for their education as an individual and allowing them to share their ideas without fear of being “wrong”.  If a student is struggling with a concept and they have a different way to explain that meets the same conclusion, it is important for me to validate that thought process.

 

Overall, the students are the driving force and my ultimate goal is to send them off at the conclusion of our time together (be it an hour talk, a weeklong field clinic, or a semester course) with the skills they expected to gain and a full understanding of the material.  How we get there is always open for discussion and failure is only a reality for those who do not take advantage of the opportunity to improve.

 

Philosophy Type

When I read over the different philosophy types in Chapter 3 of Galbraith (see Reading List)  it took me some time to determine where I best fit.  I can identify aspects of my teaching approach in Liberal, Progressive, Behaviorist, and Humanist.  I do not see a place for a Radical approach as there is not much social change coming out of things like radiography and anesthesia monitoring.    On further reflection and with the further explanation of the philosophies later in the chapter, I can best describe my philosophy type as primarily Progressive with aspects of Liberal out of necessity.

 

The necessity of lecture based teaching is to provide the learner with baseline information so they can then go on to practice the hands on skills and/or further their understanding of a topic through some other activity.  Truly time constraints and the needs of transferring certain information play a factor in this.

 

I enjoy most when the learners are able to move from the didactic setting into the problem-solving setting.  Whether taking on an anesthesia case, setting up a newly learned x-ray view, or brainstorming how to improve the clinic’s CPR preparedness, learners taking on the primary role is when I am happiest.  I look at my role as the “transmitter of knowledge” as nothing more than a link for the learner to go from novice to practitioner of a given skill.  My time in that role should be no longer than necessary.  Involving the learner in the transmission process by asking questions that provoke them to think about the information being presented is an important tool I use to help show learners the importance of what they are learning and to keep them engaged.

 

At first I was surprised to see that Liberal was my next to lowest score on the PAEI.  I found it interesting in reviewing my philosohy towards the end of the program that I had said "I realize that I use some of the methods of this philosophy more out of necessity than out of desire.  Over time I expect didactic transmission of knowledge will decline and eventually be distilled down to only the necessary facts I need to share that students would not discover through other methods." I have seen my approach change over time to include didactic or lecture-based teaching as my approach only when necessary and my approach to hands-on and learner-directed training and education ever increasing.

 

 

Conclusion

After spending some time really focusing on my teaching philosophy I have come to the conclusion that I primarily fall into the Progressive camp with a healthy dose of Liberal.  Other philosophical methods certainly make their way into my teaching and I am open to any approach that helps the learner succeed.   The only thing holding a student back from success is their lack of responsibility for their learning.  That might sound harsh but I truly believe that if a student does everything they can to succeed then they will.  For some that is a big task and my role is to support them, encourage them, and work to find the best way to serve them.