Vancouver | Adjunct Faculty, Industrial and Organizational Psychology
My passion for developing the minds of post-secondary students led me towards a fulfilling career in psychology and counselling. My motivation towards education and striving for excellence in teaching and learning evolved from graduate studies and being a teaching assistant until I received my two masters in psychology. Having moved into the counselling field, I found myself being a mentor and being drawn back towards fostering student development that could translate my enthusiasm for counselling and psychology into the skills and experiential learning to help students to be fully prepared for the world of work.
My commitment to lifelong learning and striving for excellence in teaching has led me to connect with students in a positive learning environment and prompted me to direct them toward their pursuits in psychology and counselling and making an empowering impact in the lives of their clients. Many of my students have maintained communication with me over the years to receive advice and guidance. Post-secondary institutions are the basis of learning which, through the integration of theory and real-world experiential learning opportunities as well as non-traditional methods, can provide for students a safe space to make mistakes and explore while receiving constructive and affirmative feedback. Fostering various learning approaches to expand students’ curiosity through connecting theories and real-life experiences allows them to embark on informed practice. Through flexible learning, I inspire my students to develop and enrich their lives based on ‘latent learning’, where a learner’s behaviour is not apparent in the learning time but manifests at a future time when suitable motivation and circumstances appear.
My teaching philosophy is based on mutual respect and devotion to assisting students throughout their learning journey. Having experience working in multicultural environments and with clients from various walks of life, I value the unique life experiences that all students bring into a collaborative learning environment where they can express their experiences, interests and aspirations to develop individual class-based curricula and employ learning delivery that utilizes students’ evaluation to continuously develop the most effective practices. Through the use of various teaching styles and techniques, including experiential learning, the sharing of experiences, role modelling and meta-cognitive journal writing, I aim to develop a variety of techniques in a safe and respectful environment. Developing students’ voices on a journey of learning and discovery encourages creative and critical thinking and enhance our learning atmosphere. All of these aspects combined create a space that is more conducive to self-exploration and learning.
With over 10 years of experience providing instruction to post-secondary students, my motivation is to provide students with quality education. With enthusiasm and dedication to the field of teaching, I look to nurture students’ minds so they can progress in their careers and develop into contributing members of society. I am confident in my ability to present information on the subject matter in an engaging and thought-provoking manner and to provide continuous quality education. Communication with former students who were inspired to enter the psychology and counselling field themselves and witnessing students learn and grow continuously expands my love for teaching. My academic and real-world experiences in psychology and counselling have provided me with various experiences and perspectives that I enjoy offering students to enhance their skills and latent learning. With enthusiasm and respect for the experiences of all students, I believe in developing a classroom environment where students will be interested and curious about the course content as Maria Montessori says: “This then is the first duty of an educator: to stir up life but leave it free to develop.”
Adler University in Vancouver has been, like Canada itself, born and built with an open mind. Located in the midst of one of the world’s most exciting and breathtaking cities, Adler University reflects a true Canadian spirit. It’s smart, inclusive and determined to make a world of difference. By design, our Vancouver campus echoes the Adler values and intent down every hall and in every room. It is built to live, breathe and inspire those with the passion to pursue a more just society. This is where the work gets done.
At Adler Vancouver, you’ll find multiple collaborative areas with the absolute latest technology. Learning areas and windows have literally been situated to stimulate thought. To some, that may sound odd, but these things do matter. If students are given the space, opportunity and technology to achieve their goals, they are more likely to rock the boat of conventional thought.