Dr. Hageman's Teaching Philosophy
As an educator and a human being, I believe that all persons should be treated fairly and with respect. I also believe that the instructor is always a student too in that all experiences and interactions with others serve to educate the instructor as well as the student. Learning has been my passion for as long as I can remember, even as a young child. I was fascinated by the world around me and I have lived a life full of curiosity and involvement with not only educating myself but sharing what I have learned and being open to what others can teach me. It would be presumptuous of me to declare my adherence to only one philosophy when so many wise educators over the centuries have spoken and taught about the many ways that each of us can grow into an awareness of our own value. This awareness ultimately serves to facilitate global cooperation and directives toward a healthy and sustaining environment.
My philosophy stems from the many loving people who nurtured me as a child and encouraged my curiosity. Curiosity is a trait inherent in every child that is all too often restricted by pedagogies not taking into account that learning is interdisciplinary and it integrates practical, artistic, and conceptual elements. In addition, the use of imagination can prompt both creative and analytic thinking that enables the student, whether young or in adulthood, to think in positive and innovative ways to solve problems and create new solutions. In this regard, educators have the opportunity to mentor the learner of all ages to achieve the best that individuals can elect to become. From my point of view, this is a sacred responsibility.
My educational foundation is rooted in humanistic psychology in which Rollo May, Carl Rogers, James Bugental, and Abraham Maslow, to only name a few, orient in thinking. This gave me the opportunity to examine how an educational pedagogy that celebrates the power of the human spirit might be applied in the sciences. This is also applicable to multicultural education, research, and indigenous methodologies. From a research perspective, scholarly work that focuses on the study of human experience should provide unique and practical opportunities for students to engage in an academic study of the important and timely issues facing our society.
My philosophy stems from the many loving people who nurtured me as a child and encouraged my curiosity. Curiosity is a trait inherent in every child that is all too often restricted by pedagogies not taking into account that learning is interdisciplinary and it integrates practical, artistic, and conceptual elements. In addition, the use of imagination can prompt both creative and analytic thinking that enables the student, whether young or in adulthood, to think in positive and innovative ways to solve problems and create new solutions. In this regard, educators have the opportunity to mentor the learner of all ages to achieve the best that individuals can elect to become. From my point of view, this is a sacred responsibility.
My educational foundation is rooted in humanistic psychology in which Rollo May, Carl Rogers, James Bugental, and Abraham Maslow, to only name a few, orient in thinking. This gave me the opportunity to examine how an educational pedagogy that celebrates the power of the human spirit might be applied in the sciences. This is also applicable to multicultural education, research, and indigenous methodologies. From a research perspective, scholarly work that focuses on the study of human experience should provide unique and practical opportunities for students to engage in an academic study of the important and timely issues facing our society.
©2010, 2011 copyright Joan H. Hageman, PhD
