 Avery Caldwell
Associate Faculty
Email: acaldwell@saddleback.edu
Phone: 949-582-4900 ext. 3620
Website: http://www.ff2m.com
My Teaching Philosophy
"I believe that to be most effective as an instructor, one must create an environment of learning; an environment that is interactive and collaborative and that promotes problem-solving and critical thinking skills. This environment should be safe and welcoming to an ever-expanding diverse classroom, accommodating to a variety of adult learning styles and it should encourage students to present their opinions while respecting the opinions of others. By giving students a voice in class, not only do the students benefit from peer-peer learning by enriching the course material with personal experiences and knowledge, but they also take responsibility for their own learning and, therefore, enhance the integration of their new knowledge into practice."
Promoting independent thinking is essential so that students can take what they have learned and apply it in real-life situations. Therefore, I endeavor to make my classroom an arena for students to learn skills and demonstrate outcomes. In fostering a learning environment, I encourage students to ask questions and give their views on the material that is being presented. I solicit anonymous feedback as well as open group dialogue from my students about assignments as well as my teaching style, and I then implement student suggestions to improve my service delivery and their learning outcomes. I create assignments that respond to real-world scenarios so that students will improve their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. I utilize small-group discussions both to actively involve the students in their own learning as well as to improve their critical thinking skills. In order to achieve the ultimate goal of student learning, I strive to implement strategies that create a collaborative and safe atmosphere and encourage the application of knowledge to new situations. I believe that these strategies help students become ready and able to utilize their knowledge in their studies and in their future employment.
My personal mantra is “teach students – not courses.” Therefore, I believe that educational institutions must also be dedicated to discovery and willing to adopt new paradigms to address the constant changing demands of the world learner. From classrooms and instruction to systems and administrative policies, these should not go unaffected by the flux in human ecology, urban growth, cultural practices, social movements, political ideologies, trans-global economies, and technological advances. As an educator and a lifelong learner, I take particular interest in addressing some of these issues within the classroom and searching for ways to meet some of the challenges of today and ahead while positively affecting lives.
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