To live is to learn, and as you learn, always teach!
As I reflect on my life, I have always loved learning and was always drawn to wisdom. As a result, I developed a habit of surrounding myself with insightful people who shared their knowledge and encouraged me along the way in all aspects. Coincidentally, I became just as excited about informing others as I was about learning. From life lessons to academics, a passion for sharing with others what was given to me grew more and more as I got older. I have an innate desire to help people, encourage people, and to speak life into dead situations. My innate desire to enlighten others has ultimately led me down the path of becoming a formal educator, as I have always been a teacher by nature. In the beginning, my teaching came in the form of advice due to my consistently being sought out for counsel by my peers as well as those younger and much older than me. As a result, I chose psychology during my undergraduate studies because it correlated with a natural gift I wanted to develop. Along the way, I became a substitute teacher for the Fayette County School System, and on my first day, I came across some profound words that summed it all up for me. A Successful Teacher Needs: The education of a college president, The executive ability of a financer, The humility of a deacon, The adaptability of a chameleon, The hope of an optimist, The courage of a hero, The wisdom of a serpent, The gentleness of a dove, The patience of Job, The grace of God, And the persistence of the devil! This is my philosophy of teaching. Theology and Philosophy are the fathers of Psychology. In its early stages, psychology was the study of the mind and soul. However, in more modern times, psychology is merely the study of the mind. I believe that both the mind and soul must be explored in order to really reach a person. You cannot be successful in understanding one without acknowledging the other. You have to be able to speak to the soul of a person in order to lift their spirit, which will then, and only then, allow you to develop a connection and ultimately trust that gives you access to shaping the mind of any being. In this day and age, we spend so much more time with computers and other forms of technology than we do with people, and it has subsequently made many, if not most, robotic, disconnected, and literally out of touch with human beings. I seek to become a change agent by counteracting this new paradigm. I am aware of the importance of recognizing that my students, in all aspects, are much more than the statistics gathered through test scores. I will, in turn, nurture the whole person by being sensitive to what they are feeling, how they learn, what they need, and ultimately empower them with the tools they need to be successful and prosper in life.