Teaching

When I began teaching over ten years ago, my primary goals as an instructor were to foster critical thinking and engage students intellectually. Consistent with these goals, I have always encouraged students to reflect on course content in order to draw connections among concepts, identify weaknesses and faults in arguments, and consider the practical implications of theory and research. I have consistently delivered courses that were intellectually engaging, thought-provoking, and relatable. Over the years, I have come to see my role as an instructor in much more dynamic terms.

I would characterize my approach to teaching today as both collaborative and transformative. To maximize engagement, I strive to make learning collaborative in all of my classes, such that I am engaged with my students in critical thinking and discourse. In order to accomplish this goal, I approach all questions and discussions with open-mindedness and humility, and I encourage my students to do the same; I do not see my role as one of standing authority (in which I hold all of the knowledge), but rather one of active guidance, facilitating discussion in a way that fosters intellectual discovery and insight. To this end, I approach even the most fundamental of questions with a fresh mind each term, and this extends to my teaching methods as well; as soon as I sense that my approach to a topic no longer produces a sufficient level of engagement, I am quick to rethink it from the ground up. I regularly consider student feedback in the ongoing development of my courses, as doing so helps maintain a collaborative learning environment. I also strive to maintain transparency as an instructor, sharing my love for teaching and my passions and interests as they pertain to psychology. I also admit when I make mistakes and am honest with my students when I do not know the answer to a question. In the end, I see myself as a co-learner among my students, and I benefit from their engagement as I hope they benefit from mine.

To say that my teaching style is transformative is to say that it is intended to effect change in the minds of my students and, by extension, enhance the world in which they live. I do not attempt to narrow the perspectives of my students, but only broaden them, such that they leave my classes with a better understanding of themselves and society. I accomplish this goal by using a variety of interactive and thought-provoking teaching strategies, in which applications of theory and research are discussed and diverse perspectives are acknowledged and respected. Across all of my classes, I frequently address issues related to social justice and equality within the context of the respective course content. It is my hope that these strategies will cultivate an inclusive learning environment, so that all students feel equally valued; and further enable students to be more mindful and engaged citizens, so that they approach the world (not just the classroom) with greater curiosity, open-mindedness, and respect for diverse views and opinions.

I believe strongly that in order to accomplish these goals, it is necessary to approach teaching with kindness and compassion, so that my students feel welcome and respected; as well as authenticity, so that they see me for who I am as a person. I often share personal stories and examples with my classes (where appropriate), and the feedback I receive suggests that they appreciate this down-to-earth style. Being relatable in this way further enables the kind of in-class collaboration that I aim to achieve, as it ensures that my students see me as accessible and approachable. As authenticity itself requires a sense of humility, I consider my approach to teaching as continuously evolving (and my courses the same). In light of this, I remain committed to my own learning and growth as a person and as a teacher.

To engage my students in a collaborative and transformative learning environment, I use a variety of pedagogical strategies and various in-class media. I outline these strategies below.

Application Exercises

As critical thinking and intellectual engagement remain important goals within my broader philosophy, I strive to offer opportunities during class and through coursework for students to apply course content in meaningful ways. These opportunities for application in turn support my goal of fostering collaboration and engagement more generally. Specific strategies include:

(a) brainstorming, during which students are asked to speculate on domain-specific factors or outcomes related to a particular concept introduced in class, in order to initiate thought on the topic (e.g., in my Health Psychology course, students are asked to brainstorm on the physical, mental, and emotional effects of stress before the research on this subject is reviewed);

(b) model-fitting, in which students are provided with a new domain or a specific set of factors to fit into a pre-existing theoretical model (e.g., in Health Psychology, students are asked to apply models of health behaviour change, such as the health belief model, to vaccine hesitancy in order to explain this important public health behaviour; in Personality Psychology, students are asked to describe how a series of personal belongings mentioned in vignettes fit Maslow’s hierarchy);

(c) case studies, wherein students are provided with a single case (in the form of a vignette or video) to analyze independently or in small groups using content-based theory and research (e.g., in Personality Psychology, students are asked to apply content on social aspects of personality, including gender and culture, to Malala Yousafzai, in order to explain outcomes in her life);

(d) discussions of clinical implications, during which students are asked to speculate on clinical outcomes related to a particular characteristic or condition based on earlier learning (e.g., in Psychology of Sex Differences, students are asked to participate in a discussion on psychological impacts of minority stress and stigma experienced by sexual and gender minorities);

(e) discussions of public policy implications, during which students are asked to speculate on the potential for research findings to inform public policy development or advancement (e.g., in my Death and Dying course, models of patient satisfaction in end-of-life care are used to stimulate conversation on best practices for nurses, physicians, and death doulas);

(f) model development, in which students are instructed to develop their own models to describe or summarize domains/concepts in psychology, typically in collaboration with their classmates (e.g., in Health Psychology, students are asked to develop their own model of patient care based on a series of videos in which patients from diverse backgrounds describe hospital experiences); and

(g) written assignments that require the direct application of course content, including both theory and research (e.g., in the online section of Health Psychology, students must complete three one-page papers over the term in which they apply course content to a public health crisis of their choosing, in order to provide insights about the complexities of the crisis; in Death and Dying, students are required to submit three thought papers over the term in which respond to critical thinking questions of their choosing from lecture content).

Personal Reflection Activities

As I consider personal engagement as equally important as intellectual engagement for transformative learning, I encourage personal reflection throughout my classes. This further improves student engagement as well as retention of course content. Specific strategies include:

(a) mood induction, wherein an image or short video clip (e.g., interview, media clip, video blog) is shown to the class in order to cultivate a contemplative and reflective atmosphere in the classroom (e.g., in Health Psychology, I share real stories of illness-based stigma in order to induce contemplation on the effects of stigma in the hospital; in Death and Dying, I share videos of older adults who are approaching death in order to support diverse age-related perspectives);

(b) personal reflection exercises, during which students will be given instructions (specific or vague) to contemplate and/or make note of specific aspects of their lives in a ways that are related to course content, with the option of safely sharing with the class (e.g., in Personality Psychology, during the lecture on stability and change over time, students are instructed to think about what they were like five years ago, and then write down three ways that they are the same and three way that they have changed in order to reflect on these concepts in practical ways); and

(c) perspective-taking, wherein students are directed to imagine themselves in a role similar to that in a case study, vignette, documentary, or other media to stimulate contemplation and insight (e.g., in Death and Dying, students are asked to imagine some of the unique thoughts and emotions they might experience if they were to reach the end of their lives, in order to identify some of the unique psychosocial experiences related to terminal illness and dying).

Issues-Based Instruction

I frequently incorporate socially-relevant and controversial issues into my lectures, in order to stimulate more critical reflection and engagement in class. Issues that do not yet have a solution, or issues that have not been resolved, often more effectively facilitate class discussion. This may involve a variety of means, including those mentioned above. Additional strategies include:

(a) debate critiques, in which students are provided with summaries of two sides of a debate and asked to choose one side of the debate and support their stance, either verbally or in writing, and often in a group setting in which students work together to evaluate the debate (e.g., in Psychology of Sex Differences, students must complete three one-page papers over the term in which they critique a debate of their choosing from each unit and support their stance);

(b) documentary videos or TED Talks that include expert opinions on socially-relevant issues or experiences of people affected (e.g., in Health Psychology, I show video clips of low-income people’s health-related experiences in order to encourage reflection on the socioeconomic gradient in health; in Death and Dying, I show video clips featuring diverse views on medically assisted dying in Canada in order to stimulate discourse in class); and

(c) guest lectures on socially-relevant topics to stimulate reflection and discussion (e.g., in Health Psychology, I have had members from the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS give guest lectures on safe consumption sites and sociocultural factors in the Downtown Eastside).