I have been teaching for periods of time in institutions of higher learning for the past thirty years. I chose this profession because of my desire to share ideas and knowledge and to work with people. As an instructor in the academic as well as clinical setting, my aim has always been to share/transfer information because this is where learning takes place. I have watched this process through the eyes of my students and through my eyes.

Examples of this strategy are evident in my open door/email me any questions/concerns and the Brookfield CIQ used with my lectures. Through these avenues, my ear is always turned to the student. I learn through their eyes.

My students are my first contact in the transfer process. It is imperative that they not only receive, but process the information I share with them. The Brookfield CIQ (Critical Incident Questionnaire) which I ask the students complete after each learning experience assists me in gauging the information transferred. It is also a good way for me to evaluate my own teaching.

Dee Fink feels that it is a wise use of time to evaluate your own teaching and further, the questionnaire is the most common method used to evaluate the student’s reaction to your teaching (University of Oklahoma, 2006). With this information, I analyze “what worked” and “what did not work”. From this analysis (Brookfield’s CIQ) I proceed to improve on that learning experienc,  to change the teaching method and or modify the curriculum as might be fitting so that a more positive end may be achieved at the next presentation.

My basic strategy in teaching is to impart knowledge. In order to impart knowledge there has to be a teacher and a learner. In the class I taught in my preceptor-ship the learners ranged in ages from nineteen to thirty. This fact decides how the strategy is implemented. According to theorist and educators, the adult learner differs from other learners. Because of this, in the class I taught this spring, I included power point, discussion and scenarios so that I might reach each age and type of learner. The students were engaged in laughter, singing the song and in discussion of the material. The only draw back was we lacked sufficient time to deeply involve ourselves in the scenarios.

When I use music in my classes, I often take some of the lecture notes from that particular unit and I set them to music. This was a huge success among the students this past semester as they very readily told me how much they loved the music piece and wanted to sing the song. Using music in this way brings the students together and allows them to commune on the same thoughts. My personal objective for all of the students regardless of age is to pique their interest and hold them captive to the subject at hand. Setting the lecture or lab experience to music assists me in meeting this objective. Using these “mascot songs” has gone over well with the students.

My philosophy adheres to ‘transfer of information’ as learning and teaching are ever evolving.

With this philosophy I become a more effective teacher. I believe in education.