My teaching philosophy has evolved over the years. Initially, it was theoretical in nature, but now it is less formal and more practical. William Butler Yeats wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” The following principles guide my teaching philosophy and daily interactions with students as I seek not to fill their heads with facts but ignite a desire to learn:
• Enthusiasm: No matter the topic I’m teaching, I want to convey a sense of enthusiasm and encourage my learners to take an interest in the subject. Whether it’s learning about vaccine-preventable diseases, osteoporosis, dementia, or pharmacy law, my goal is to “light a fire” about its importance and relevance to pharmacy practice.
• Curiosity: The concept of curiosity is intertwined with life-long learning, and I always hope to stimulate interest in the why and how vs. rote memorization. Active learning, such as team-based learning, allows students to develop critical-thinking skills. As a team, they can dissect a problem to determine what is known and what is unknown. Curiosity is the spark that stimulates us to ask why and how and seek information about the unknown so we can learn and grow.
• Collaboration: I have learned that the carrot-and-stick approach to teaching does not engender collaboration. Active learning is most successful when there is a dynamic of collaboration and mutual respect in the classroom. This respect ensures that we view one another as key components – partners, if you will – in the learning process. While we have the roles of “faculty” and “student” now, we will soon be peers and colleagues.
• Safety: The word safety has many implications for educators and pharmacists. To ensure collaboration, the classroom and skills lab should be a safe space to learn, ask questions, and make mistakes. In the practice setting, we focus on patient safety. When I teach immunization administration, I focus on the safety of the patient and the immunizer. The learner must know how to administer a vaccine safely to protect themselves from a needlestick injury and ensure no patient harm. Safety also extends to ensuring students have a safe space if they need to talk to someone, and I include the notation, My Office is a Safe Space, in my e-mail signature.
• Patient-Centered Care: In clinical practice, I always asked myself, “Would I make this recommendation if this patient was my family member?” This touchstone carries over to my teaching, and I convey that we are not treating a disease; we are taking care of a person. When I teach osteoporosis, I ask the students to stand, hunch their back, and then try to take a deep breath to illustrate a simple physical limitation from vertebral fractures. In pharmacotherapy courses, immunization training, and medication therapy management certificate training, I stress that patient-centered care includes educating and empowering patients. In focusing on patient-centered care, my goal is to help students develop empathy, improve their communication skills, and develop respect for patient autonomy.
Teaching is more than a requirement of my job. Like being a pharmacist, being an educator is a calling, a passion, and a privilege. I am fortunate to have been mentored by colleagues, many of whom are my former teachers, who feel the same way. Working with students has reaffirmed mylove of pharmacy and my fundamental belief that pharmacists play a critical role in the delivery of patient-centered care. I am exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to work with the next generation of pharmacists, and I hope to light a fire within them. My desire as an educator is to work collaboratively with fellow faculty and students to ensure the culmination of our collectiveefforts transforms the student-pharmacist into a colleague who is dedicated to providing excellent patient care; well equipped to reason, deduct, and problem-solve; and continually learning and growing as a professional.
Education