Teaching PhilosophyTeaching is a privilege and one of our most critically important professions. For over 20 years, I have had the honor of being a teacher from lower school through college levels. Currently, I enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to teach adults who have devoted their precious time and money to personal and professional growth. In general, students in my graduate courses hold responsible positions in public, private, K-12, corporate, higher education, and continuing education institutions. I have mentored educators and training professionals in a wide variety of roles including doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, nurses, fire safety specialists, foster care providers, real estate agents, computer technicians, and faculty from all disciplines. Every profession is challenged by the short shelf-life of knowledge and the rapid advancements of technology. To be successful, professionals need to be life-long learners.Students in my courses can expect learning to be an active, collaborative, and engaging process. Ultimately, students are responsible for their learning. The diversity and life experience of adult learners is a valuable source of knowledge and I seek to tap that knowledge. Because my students need higher level problem solving and critical thinking skills, I develop a rich, supportive environment in which they can practice these skills.Throughout my career, I have adopted a constructivist teaching philosophy which strives to help students take ownership of knowledge and apply it to their personal contexts. I encourage students to design their own learning projects, share reading/research, and apply course material to their situations. I want to contribute to the field of education and make a difference in the lives of my students, and I want them to continue the cycle by making a difference for their learners.