Teaching Philosophy
​I teach through an experiential learning lens with a focus on service to the community. Experiential learning involves progression of learning by providing real-life situational training (experiential learning opportunities) to build professional confidence and competencies. I believe at least one of these opportunities should be provided within a community setting that faces barriers decreasing access to care. Meanwhile, the emerging clinician is cultivating task confidence and building professional networks and community inside and outside the classroom.
My core values include understanding confidence and sense of community as ‘protective factors’ which encourage the use of experiential learning design to promote increased clinician engagement, professional longevity, and self-preservation through an emotionally and physically taxing profession (Green et al., 2024).
As an OT I focus on client-centered, client-directed care. As an educator, I will focus on student-centered learning to foster an inclusive and dynamic learning environment. I have spent my personal life attempting to model self-advocacy for diversity. I have dedicated the last 24 years to raising my two children to believe in their inherent value and others’ inherent value as humans. I have served community boards and philanthropic organizations to engage with diverse needs and challenges to connect with my children, church, community, and city to grow in awareness and to encourage my heart for service. I have spent my professional clinical time encouraging and advocating for inclusion and access to opportunities for neurodivergent students. I will carry the same vigor for diversity, inclusion, and engagement into an OT classroom and hope the future OT clinicians carry it out with them as well.