Teaching Philosophy

  • [Dr. Guy] is probably the favorite teacher I've had thus far. She cares about the students and treats us as people rather than just grades. Having her as a teacher really makes me want to work hard and helps me pay attention.
  • [Dr. Guy} does an excellent job and is very enthusiastic about teaching. She is honestly one of the best instructor[s] I've had.
  • The instructor was very willing to help...was so passionate [and] able to connect with the students & make the class really enjoyable & fun to go to. The activities that got the class involved...doing more than just lecturing...were all really great features of the class.​
​My teaching philosophy revolves around the concept of “the one who does the work does the learning” (Doyle, 2011). If I spend my class time lecturing, my students are not actively engaged in the material, and are therefore less likely to retain information and develop critical thinking skills. Lecturing behind a podium puts an unnecessary barrier between my students and myself, which hinders their learning process. My goal as an instructor is to act as a facilitator, where my students are working through course content while I am there to answer questions, provide mini-lectures, and facilitate.
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​I incorporate a diverse array of activities into my courses that include both active learning and reflective practice in order to accommodate multiple learning styles.

​I encourage my students to consider how and why different activities help them learn the material. I do make mistakes—new strategies that I implement don’t always work as planned, and I am transparent with my students about this; I promote us learning from the process together. ​
Another key aspect of my teaching philosophy is that I feel I would be doing a disservice to my students if I failed to explain why I use certain teaching methods. My attitude is: if I expect them to engage in various individual, group, and whole-class activities, they should understand my evidence-based reasoning behind it. During the first class of every semester, I forego the traditional “syllabus day” for an interactive introduction and open discussion surrounding learner-centered teaching and why I implement it. Ultimately, my teaching philosophy involves a learner-centered approach that encourages learning through active learning activities, reflective practice, and honest discussions surrounding successes and failures.

Professional Development

  • Online Teaching Excellence Certificate: University of Cincinnati, November 2024
  • Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education Endorsement: Ohio Professional Development Consortium, Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University, July 2021
  • Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Certificate: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, April 2016
  • Program Coordinator, Preparing Future Faculty Program, University of Cincinnati: August 2016- August 2017
  • Outreach Coordinator/ Co-Secretary, Graduate Association for Teaching Enhancement (GATE), Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CET&L), University of Cincinnati: April 2017- November 2017
  • Co-President, Graduate Association for Teaching Enhancement (GATE), Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CET&L), University of Cincinnati: April 2016- April 2017