Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
As a Student Affairs professional, I place the student at the heart of my pedagogy. This
strategy considers the unique identities of the student as a critical factor in their learning process
and development. Reflection of identities allows me to challenge students to utilize their capital,
an “array of cultural knowledge, skills, abilities and contacts” (Yosso, 2005, p. 1) to succeed
academically and holistically. Through training, supervising and advising student leaders out of
the classroom, I integrate concepts of cultural competency, and inclusivity, allowing students to
place each other at the forefront of their education by becoming the ‘teacher.’ Supplemented by
experiential learning tools such as programming, students will build on their personal strengths
to enable them to effectively connect, engage, and explore in their work. Through these
objectives, I have developed three overarching principles that define my practice as an educator.
Students must learn to become effective leaders in their professional spaces, requiring
recognition and use of individual leadership styles. I value the approach that places students as
the teacher, because it prepares them for industry and global demands, and conditions the student
to draw upon their navigational capital to solve problems. To illustrate, during weekly staff
meetings I require student leaders to present a topic of interest that incorporates either of the
three tenets of their work - social justice, restorative justice or professional development. One of
my students presented “Responsibility and Time Management as a Student Leader,” and applied
the strategies from his degree program and student teaching practicum. Presentations must also
students to share various organizational methods used toward their extracurricular activities and
TEACHING AND LEARNING PHILOSOPHY 2
classes such as scheduling, creating to-do lists, and decluttering emails. Additionally, to build on
the topic of individual strengths to lead, teach and work, during my 1:1 advising session with
each student, we evaluate the practical application of their top five strengths identified by the
building that produce fruitful outcomes in their work such as an engaged, active and respectful
community. This strategy also employs the traditional tenets of teaching that allows the student
to learn through a self-driven method, integrating knowledge from their professions and personal
Student affairs work must tutor each student to develop a commitment toward their
community through use of their social capital, which cultivates inclusive behavior in their work.
This process challenges the student to ask, “To which community do I belong, what does my
community need and what is affecting them?” For example, a primary responsibility for the
student leader is to execute programs that foster individual learning and community
development. Pivotal to this requirement is the use of the Residential Curriculum, a departmental
guide that focuses on a learning domain each semester. Under the current domain of community
responsibility and engagement, students will be able to demonstrate the commitment and
capacity to be an engaged and ethical community member. When students propose a program
under learning domains, I advise them to connect and collaborate with campus leaders or
departments to enhance the effectiveness of their program, which will also resonate with
residents’ needs, concerns and identities. Recent program successes have incorporated the
LGBTQ+ office, KSUPD and the Sexual & Relationship Violence Support Services. Integrating
campus community partners within programs has achieved many long-term positive outcomes:
TEACHING AND LEARNING PHILOSOPHY 3
• Directly connected students with various campus resources to address their concerns
• Increased visibility, advocacy and support for and by students who experience
marginalization, crises, harm or any other issues relating to their experiences and identity
This method recognizes all stakeholders of the institution that can educate and support
connections.
Global Fluency
engagement between domestic and international students. This value also recognizes the college
During student leader training on the use of restorative justice in conflict mediation
between residents, I train students on using their navigational capital to handle conflicts that can
“acculturation,” lending from Berry’s (2006) definition which explains it as the process of
learning and changing to fit into a new culture, while balancing one’s own through either
integration, assimilation, adaptation or marginalization (as cited in Patton, Renn, Guido &
TEACHING AND LEARNING PHILOSOPHY 4
Quaye, 2016). By recognizing this process, particularly in freshman residents, student leaders are
ingrained with the knowledge to appropriately respond to intercultural conflict and determine the
best outcome that meets the needs of both students. Moving forward, I require student leaders to
reflects each resident’s lifestyle, areas of compromise and interests. This also engages
conversation that allows two individuals with contrasting experiences to know one another
better. Conflict mediation is followed by weekly check-ins to monitor the progress between the
roommates, in which I advise student leaders to provide me with updates. This allows them to
recognize mediation as a process and helps all parties, including my students to feel supported
and heard. As a result, the roommates and the student leader will gain the knowledge, skill and
interests, my intentional educational approaches in advising, training and supervising are applied
with the hope that they will recognize the “capital” they distinctively possess to navigate their
References
Patton, L.D., Renn, K.A., Guido, F.M., & Quaye, S.J. (2016). Student development in college:
Theory, research and practice (3rd ed.) p. 128. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yosso, T.J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community
https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006