Priscilla

PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT |To teach with passion, knowledge, and integrity and to make a difference through teaching in the lives of all who come onto my path. To empower my students to think critically, to be expert problem solvers, and to demonstrate high ethical and moral values in decision-making. Professionalism must be modeled as well as taught, and I take the charge seriously. What I do in the classroom is effective only through what I say and do outside of the classroom, which may have more impact, especially when it involves one-on-one interaction. I have taught for more than 20+ years, and I am constantly changing how I teach to reach the ever-changing audience of students who come into the classroom. It is an exciting place, the classroom. It is like a crucible where the fire of my desires for them meets the boundless energy of their quest for learning. Sometimes we have ignition with great flame; and other times, it is just a small flickering light that emerges. I am sure, they are almost never aware they are on a quest, but I see it, and it is thrilling to be part of that journey. I am project oriented, and I design projects for my communications classes that reflect real world applications. It is as though they can practice now for the future in a safe place, where the stakes are not as high. They are challenged to go out into the business community and interact with working professionals. Many of them, before coming to my class, have not thought seriously about their future. Going into the outside world as a dressed-up professional is new territory for most of them. My class is centered on the development of a specific set of communication skills, but I challenge the students to create the course content specifically designed around their future career goals. I have many conversations in my office where they admit that they have no idea what they want to do in their future. It affords an excellent opportunity to direct, suggest, and help shape their thought processes. I take the role of mentor with great awe seeing the tremendous impact teachers have in the lives of students. I enjoy a relationship where I can know my students as I do my corporate clients and to some extent design a program around what their needs are in the short and long term. I want to create an environment where I can know if my students are having difficulty with a particular part of an assignment. I enjoy the luxury that a relationship affords, and strive to be accessible to my students. It is exciting to see how much personal growth they experience in such a short amount of time. I believe when they come to us, their moral behavior is already formed. We can only challenge them to discover what their code of conduct will be in making ethical decisions. We can present situational life challenges, and they decide. I do not believe we can increase their IQ (I know some disagree with this position), but I do believe we have an obligation to supply them the tools to help with their success when they are launched in the world outside. I love to teach, and to work with students in a one-on-one environment is the best of all worlds.

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