Education
Philosophy
As an educator, it is my duty and privilege to establish a teaching philosophy that does not place me in a position of power in a hierarchy that was created through socio-political constructs where community and helping others is looked at with disdain. Instead, I aim to utilize my role as an educator to build connection, collaboration, and purposefulness through mutual understanding and support. I do not view space in society and representation within it as limited- but always capable of growing.
Constructivism and discovery learning models of education embody the key tenets of my educational approach where equity, passion, and exploration can coexist and mutually strengthen each other. While I strive to build equitable representation of students in the classroom, build inclusive curriculum, and aid in the development of competent counselors, I recognize the privilege of the power I do hold and strive to redistribute this through liberatory practices that validate and recognize the individual strengths of every student while protecting the welfare of the clients they will one day serve.
Theoretical Framework:
Discovery Learning Model
Jerome Bruner’s Discovery Learning Model (1960) builds upon a constructivist framework which emphasizes that knowledge is constructed over time through the formation of schemas integrated with real life experience. This perspective focuses on shifting away from a hierarchical transfer of information from an authority figure and, instead, encourages students to be active participants in their educational journeys by applying their experiential knowledge to the problems and content they are provided.
This philosophical ideology encompasses individualistic direction on behalf of the student and awareness of individual needs of the student by the teacher. The approach requires diversity in classroom learner management techniques, alternative assessment techniques, and emphasis on the student being the primary navigator of their learning experience. It defies the deductive, or structuralist, methods of instruction where there is an absolutist approach to education where meaning and interpretation of content are not subjective (Khan & Thomas, 2022).
Structure
Inquiry-based
Problem-first
Recursive
Lateral Teaching Dynamics
Equal power distribution
Student and instructor autonomy
Student-centered and guided
Participation
Collaborative
Dialogical
Experiential
Multiculturalism and Ethics
Jerome Bruner’s Discovery Learning model (1960) and constructivist approaches to education can allow for more inclusive and diverse practices within the classroom by challenging the banking model (Friere, 1970). The hierarchical exchange of knowledge in educational settings limits feedback, especially in fields of social service where diverse populations are intended to be served, and instead, encourages oppression, reductionism, and limitations to professional and academic growth.
I do not adhere to the notion that a student’s emotional and social well-being should be entirely separated from their educational and professional pursuits; but instead, can be integrated and utilized as a tool for learning. Students come from a variety of lived experiences, some more privileged than others, and have a diverse set of understandings about the world in which we all hold a place in. This can act as both a challenge to educational and professional pursuits and a motivator for them. With this understanding, I as the educator, do not intend to act as a therapist to my students, but I can validate their experiences and help them transform them into educational and professional motivators (Hooks, 2014). This encompasses the primary principles outlined in Bruner’s discovery learning theory (1960) as well as the notion that knowledge is constructed from the independent lens of the learner.
It should be not only expected, but encouraged, that students utilize their cultural and socioeconomical experiences and perspectives as motivators to further classroom discussion and develop their identity as students and counselors. This does not negate the need for critical analysis of the self, self-other awareness, and consideration of respect and codes of conduct, but it can be a strong driving force in a person’s motivation and curiosity in academics. From this, the professional field of counseling is strengthened, diversified, and further developed.
Professional Teaching Development Plan
Goal Area I:
Assist students in building motivation to actively engage in inquiry-based practices to deepen understanding and application of learned material.
Methods:
Incorporate student individualism and creativity into curriculum design
Conduct recurring needs assessments of students
Adjust assessment practices (i.e. rubrics, reflection prompts, and evaluations) to incorporate student-specific growth edges
Goal Area II:
Develop student competencies in skillset areas of critical reflection, collaborative dialogue, and inter- and intrapersonal assessment
Methods:
Develop reflection prompts to utilize problem-first practices
Incorporate group work opportunities
Integrate a systems approach to curriculum design and teach intersectionality of learned cultural constructs
Goal Area III:
Explore and implement emerging technologies to increase accommodative and accessible educational pursuits while maintaining the integrity of curriculum material and student engagement.
Methods:
Engage in ongoing research of assistive technologies, changing accommodation practices, digital learning platforms, and artificial intelligence models and their impact on student learning outcomes and key progress indicators
Advocate for ethical use of technology at the institutional and organizational level to ensure academic integrity remains intact
Testing and Appraisal offers an introduction to the theory and practice of testing and evaluation processes relevant to counselors. The course covers statistical concepts, assessment procedures, and various implications for the administration, use, and interpretation of assessment tools. In the lecture video sample attached from Module 1, I have utilized a constructivism technique to assist students in building culturally competent assessment procedures on a prior foundation of knowledge from the Counseling and Identity course. The Module 5 lesson plan and rubric attached shows further integration of cultural competencies with consideration to personality and career assessments.
CNS 525: Testing and Appraisal
Instructor- Summer 2026
CNS 607: Multicultural Perspectives
Lecturer- Spring 2026
The multicultural perspectives course taught by Dr. Dennis Winkler (2026) explores multicultural issues in counselor preparation graduate programs, counseling supervision, and counseling research. In this course, students are required to develop a 90-minute Multicultural and Social Justice Teaching Presentation related to multicultural perspectives in counseling, teaching, supervision, research and scholarship or leadership and advocacy. Students lead the class discussion and integrate the research literature and assigned readings to present their topic. Included in the presentations is the use of technology, any supplemental handouts, and resource lists. The topic I chose to focus on for the course discussed sexism, heterosexism, and trans* oppression. Topics of intersectionality, sociohistorical context of oppression, and competencies related to supporting individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community were discussed.
CNS 508: Culture and Identity
Teaching Assistant- Fall 2025
The goal of the Culture and Identity course taught by Dr. Leann Romitti (2025) is to expand cultural awareness and knowledge. The course explored culture, race, ethnicity, social status, age, language, gender, and sexual preferences. As the teaching assistant of this course I collaborated with students through lectures, discussions, reflection assignments, grading, and instruction. Together with my co-instructor, Jen Bernini, we developed a module focused on the topics of gender, affectional orientation, and sexuality and designed a skills lab focused on broaching these conversations with clients that identified within these constructs.
Through this course, I integrated discovery learning (Bruner, 1960) components with emphasis on spiral curriculum, schema formation and cognitive restructuring, scaffolding, and representational models. My goals from this course were to develop more balance in equitable instruction, cultural humility, and gatekeeping through a variety of instructional tools and methodologies.
Sample Course: Creating a Counselor Identity
Course Developer- Spring 2025
The College Teaching and Methods of Counselor Education course taught by Dr. Kelley McNichols (2025) assigns doctoral students to develop a sample course they would teach to aspiring counselors. The course I designed, Creating a Counselor Identity, focuses on the primary goal of expanding a aspiring counselor’s cultural, professional, and experiential self-knowledge and examining the impact of these on the counselor’s identity and practice. Emphasis is placed on the impact that attitudes, beliefs, values, understandings, and worldviews have on counseling strategies, skills, and problem-solving mechanisms with regard to ethical and effective counseling practice. Jerome Bruner’s discovery learning (1960) model of instruction was utilized in the creation of this course content and material.
Supplemental Documents
ACES Membership
Resume
I have included my resume as a means to review my work in academia and research. My current andragogical endeavors include my work as a Student Support Specialist at Marshall University, my development of the Trauma and Autism intersectionality course at Marshall University, as well as my work as a teaching assistant and adjunct faculty member for Waynesburg University teaching Culture and Identity (2025) and Testing and Appraisal (2026). I have developed additional courses and course material, as well, including the sample course Creating a Counselor Identity and a lecture for Multicultural Perspectives on sexism, heterosexism, and trans oppression.
Independent Study
This course was an independent study developed by me and supervised by Laura Viars as a part of the Violence, Loss, and Trauma (VoLT) certificate program at Marshall University and in partnership with the West Virginia Autism Training Center (WVATC) where I served as a Student Support Specialist for individuals with autism from 2021-2023. I built this course and developed this syllabus to focus on researching the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder and trauma diagnoses in clients and person-centered clinical interventions that accommodate the client while treating trauma symptomology.