Teaching Philosophy and Practice
Over the past 20 years, though my primary professional identity has been that of social worker, I have taught secondary, undergraduate and graduate courses. My teaching has been mainly confined to social sciences and education, though I have demonstrated my capacity to instruct in statistics within the context of some of the courses I have taught. Specifically I have taught courses in sociology, research methods in the social sciences, human growth and development, youth care theory, and have coached students in writing major papers in their graduate project seminar.
I believe that many of the social sciences have grown up in a time when the academy and the main producers of knowledge were members of the western, colonial elite. By that I mean they were mainly white, anglo and male. Certainly times have changed since the foundations of our disciplines have been established. This change requires that educators and academics in the present age approach their scholarship and teaching from a critical perspective, constantly asking questions about who the producers of prevailing theory were and what effect their work has had on other peoples. The knowledge and history of others needs to be infused in all teaching and scholarship, not only to bring critique to established ideas but to introduce other sources of knowledge as sources and subjects of critical consideration.
I believe that teaching effectiveness is heightened when a teacher brings three specific qualities to their teaching practice: Theoretical mastery of the subject matter; current experience in applying annd practicing theory in the field; and a knowledge and affinity (dare I say love) for students and their aspirations. I believe I bring these three qualities to bear in my academic practice.
I consider myself an expert in the health and human services field. Throughout my career I have worked to stay connected to the literature and growing body of knowledge we have about children, youth and families and what contributes to their health and wellness. A lifelong learner, I regularly attend and present at national and regional conferences. Over time I have contributed significantly to the grey literature on topics such as ethics (in particular, dual relationships), cultural competence, and the care of difficult to manage youth. In addition to writing and presenting on these topics in the public sphere I have also been contracted to perform assessments and to write about these matters in forensic cases in family courts and professional tribunals.
I have maintained a small private practice since beginning my career. As an active social work practitioner I am privileged and challenged to be constantly in the laboratory of applying theory to practice. This has been a valuable part of my teaching practice. Having recent and relevant field examples helps to inspire students and gives them the opportunity to interrogate the relationship between theory and practice with someone who is in active practice.
Finally, I bring to my teaching practice a deep love and knowledge of the students who are coming to institutions of higher learning today. They come to university from an ever diversifying social, economic, and cultural background. And changes in the economy make the pressures on students to leave the academy "job ready" greater now than at any other time. To ingnite the passion for learning, teachers must make the classroom relevant to students both in terms of their increasing diversity and in terms of their real world pressures and aspirations. The academy can no longer be a place of "pure learning" devoid of these socio-cultural realities. As students see themselves in the academy they are empowered to embrace all that it offers as legitimate members of the academic community, rather than as outsiders who must take an antagonistic stance in order to preserve their cultural integrity.
Courses Taught (links to syllabi where available):
SOCI345 - Fundamentals of Social Research II: As a guest lecturer, I taught this course at my undergraduate alma mater, Atlantic Union College, during the winter intercession 2001/2002. Students applied the research concepts they learned previously in the design and implementation of a small research project. This course emphasized practical skills in research and the use of various statistical applications to analyze results. I was asked by the chair of the department to focus considerable attention to the instruction and application of relevant statistical operations during this class.
SK500 - Human Growth and Development: While a PhD student at Wilfrid Laurier University, I taught a section of this mandatory class (c. 2000). "This course focusses on theories pertaining to the social context of identity and personality development. Emphasis is placed on the evolution of these theories and how they help us to understand the human condition and social work practice. Topics may include life span, ecological systems, contemporary psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, feminist, social constructionist and critical theories." (from WLU's website)
CHYS3320 - Youth Care: Theory and Issues: I taught this course at Mount Saint Vincent University in the Fall of 2009. This course is designed to introduce students to the particular developmental challenges facing adolescents, problematic issues that place youth at risk, and the roles and functions of youth care workers as supportive helping agents.
CHYS2211 - Research Methods in Child and Youth Study: I taught this course at Mount Saint Vincent University in the Winter of 2010. This course is designed to familiarize students with current research methodologies in the social sciences. Emphasis will be placed on thestudent’s ability to evaluate the quality, and potential for application of research in the field of child and youth studies.
GEDU6140 - Graduate Project Seminar: I have taught this course in the Summers of 2008 and 2010. This is the final course in the Africentric Leadership cohort of the MEd in Lifelong Learning offered at Mount Saint Vincent University. The course is designed to give students an opportunity to synthesize their learning in a final, major written work that demonstrates a sustained exploration of theory, research and practice. This work is approached from a critical, Afrocentric perspective in which the impact and relevance of the work to the history, experience and aspirations of African peoples is considered.
CHYS4421 – Seminar in Child and Youth Research: I taught this course in the winter of 2011. It was taught online using Moodle and Elluminate. This course is a senior seminar directed to the critical examination of research related to the field of child and youth study. In it, students are encouraged to develop the ability to critically evaluate and apply research.
Link to former "Teaching" page |
