Teaching Philosophy
Whether teaching to a class of 5 or 100 students, in English or Spanish, young or old, my teaching style enables me to facilitate learning in an environment that values diversity, critical thinking, and skill mastery.
I work in a small class size setting with non-traditional, adult learners. I utilize various approaches consisting of multimedia, lecture, discussion, and experiential activities to appeal to diverse learning styles. Knowing my students have years of life experience, I invite them to engage with one another to enrich the learning experience and capitalize on the knowledge they bring to the classroom. I have found adult learners to highly value the real-world relevancy of information. I, therefore, work to link classroom knowledge into direct real-life application. One of the assignments I currently use, is having the student video record their clinical work with their client and to watch the recorded session and write a self-critique. At this stage, this assignment is more meaningful than if I were to tell them what I believe they need to work on because it is self-generated. I believe that the student can be one of their own greatest teachers as long as they are willing and able to critically examine themselves.
For the past three years, my primary teaching responsibility has been training students in therapy skills and clinic management. I teach the students how to work within a non-profit clinic, from front desk responsibilities to paperwork to providing direct therapy services. I also support students in working from a specific theory of therapy while adhering to the code of ethics. I emphasize the importance of research-informed practice and utilizing formal and informal assessments in their approach to treatment. Due to the smaller class size, the learning environment is more personal, thus, I have been privileged to directly observe my students’ work and it has allowed me to give them specifically tailored feedback.
My role as an educator is flexible, intuitive, creative, and current. In addition, I recognize that I must be able to tailor assignments to match various developmental levels and means of learning. I have an appreciation for classroom learning, I also recognize the reality that much of learning occurs outside the classroom when students are exposed to different populations and geographical areas. For me personally, my travels to Central America and to the Caribbean, and my engagement with the Latino culture have been as fundamental to my growth as any experience within a classroom. In regards to technological advancements, I stay current with the latest technology trends. Technology furthers the learning experience, reaches a vast population, and connects us to the world in exciting and growth-enhancing ways.
Finally, my specific training in marriage and family therapy allows me to think and teach from a systemic paradigm that values the contributions of a wide range of disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology) that highlight the multitude of factors (e.g., biological, psychological, family, social) that shape individuals and society. I believe it is my job to impart this same appreciation to my students so that they will have the skills to communicate across cultures and disciplines while appreciating the tremendous complexity of human and social behavior.
I work in a small class size setting with non-traditional, adult learners. I utilize various approaches consisting of multimedia, lecture, discussion, and experiential activities to appeal to diverse learning styles. Knowing my students have years of life experience, I invite them to engage with one another to enrich the learning experience and capitalize on the knowledge they bring to the classroom. I have found adult learners to highly value the real-world relevancy of information. I, therefore, work to link classroom knowledge into direct real-life application. One of the assignments I currently use, is having the student video record their clinical work with their client and to watch the recorded session and write a self-critique. At this stage, this assignment is more meaningful than if I were to tell them what I believe they need to work on because it is self-generated. I believe that the student can be one of their own greatest teachers as long as they are willing and able to critically examine themselves.
For the past three years, my primary teaching responsibility has been training students in therapy skills and clinic management. I teach the students how to work within a non-profit clinic, from front desk responsibilities to paperwork to providing direct therapy services. I also support students in working from a specific theory of therapy while adhering to the code of ethics. I emphasize the importance of research-informed practice and utilizing formal and informal assessments in their approach to treatment. Due to the smaller class size, the learning environment is more personal, thus, I have been privileged to directly observe my students’ work and it has allowed me to give them specifically tailored feedback.
My role as an educator is flexible, intuitive, creative, and current. In addition, I recognize that I must be able to tailor assignments to match various developmental levels and means of learning. I have an appreciation for classroom learning, I also recognize the reality that much of learning occurs outside the classroom when students are exposed to different populations and geographical areas. For me personally, my travels to Central America and to the Caribbean, and my engagement with the Latino culture have been as fundamental to my growth as any experience within a classroom. In regards to technological advancements, I stay current with the latest technology trends. Technology furthers the learning experience, reaches a vast population, and connects us to the world in exciting and growth-enhancing ways.
Finally, my specific training in marriage and family therapy allows me to think and teach from a systemic paradigm that values the contributions of a wide range of disciplines (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology) that highlight the multitude of factors (e.g., biological, psychological, family, social) that shape individuals and society. I believe it is my job to impart this same appreciation to my students so that they will have the skills to communicate across cultures and disciplines while appreciating the tremendous complexity of human and social behavior.
MMFT690 - Internship into Marriage and Family Therapy
Overview of the course
The central goal of this course is to assist students in applying theory, modalities, and methods of therapeutic processes to face-to-face counseling sessions. Interns will learn the process of proper record keeping, confidentiality, intake processes, and treatment planning. Interns will participate in the process of supervision of counseling and case conferencing which are processes that must continue following graduation from the program and needed for licensure. Interns will be encouraged to integrate theory and practice into their therapy sessions.Syllabi
Evaluations from Students
- Summer 2012 Program Evaluations
- Spring 2012 Program Evaluations
- Fall 2011 Idea Evaluations, Program Evaluations
- Summer 2010 Program Evaluations
Final Exam
- Final Theory of Therapy paper Spring 2012
- Final Case Presentation paper Spring 2011
- Final Case Presentation paper Summer 2011
Student Assignments
- Video of Self Summer 2012
- Observation of peer Spring 2012
- Video of Self Fall 2011
Innovative ideas
I applied for the iPad2 FLC on September 14, 2011; however, I was not selected to participate. I still found value in integrating technology in the classroom and the clinic and have since purchased my own iPad2. I have been using the iPad2 in an effort to train students in providing better quality services to clients.
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