Teaching/Coaching Philosophy

Andrea J. Severson, PhD

Acceptance & Mentorship

I try to practice a variety of teaching methods and styles and use positive encouragement and reinforcement to open up the creative minds of my students as well as to show a genuine interest in the progress of my students in their learning process. I believe in accepting the level my students are at in their education and skills and help them to progress beyond that level by providing a safe and comfortable learning environment while also being stimulating and challenging. I also continue to further my own education and learning and encourage my students to do the same in theirs. In my writing classes, I don’t feel it is my job to tell my students what to do or how to think. Rather, I work in a mentor capacity to help them engage critically in their education. I believe strongly in the potential and creative capacity of my students. I want to help them realize their own power, intelligence, and talent, rather then wait for me to ‘bestow’ them with those skills. I work with my students to help them gain the critical thinking skills they need both as students in my classes, and also as students in a higher education institution. 

Everyone's A Writer

Writing is an inherent part of daily life, so when my students enter the classroom, they enter as “writers” even if they don’t see themselves that way. I work hard to break down preconceived notions of writing and individual ability in my students. So many of them come into my class with negative prior experiences with writing and in writing classrooms. While some of the skills they are learning in my courses will be class specific there will also be many skills they gain that will serve them in other courses throughout their academic career. And in the case of professional writing courses, they are learning skills that will help them beyond their college years and allow them to be successful in their careers. Though we go over a variety of assignments, the biggest skill I try to teach is how to ask questions and find the answers.

Student Empowerment

I employ methods of learner-centered teaching in my class to further enhance the learning experience of my students. By using methods such as needs assessment, think-pair-share, write-pair-share, discussion starters, and rubrics (that are shared with students) I hope to broaden their learning experience and show them that they play the primary functioning role in the class. By beginning each course with a needs assessment I hope to tailor my methods of teaching and assignments as much a possible to have the maximum benefit for the student. Though there are aspects of the assignments that cannot really be altered there are suggestions I can make to allow the student to get the most educational benefit out of each assignment to help them reach their own personal goals for the class.