Transformative and Inspiring Educator, Researcher, Counselor, and Coach with Leadership Expertise

My teaching and research interests pertain to transformative education and experiential learning, with an emphasis on transformative learning communities (TLC) for promoting Emotional (EQ) and Spiritual Intelligences (SQ) in addition to leadership qualities. I am interested in utilizing a TLC-based approach professionally as a means of promoting the EQ and SQ of students and staff within an educational and organizational environment. In addition to EQ and SQ, I am interested in applying a TLC approach for developing character and leadership factors related to agency, belonging, dignity, empathy, empowerment, compassion, integrity, locus of control, meaning-making, pride, purpose, resilience, respect, self-affirmation, self-appraisal, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-worth.
My teaching philosophy is that I as an educator, I serve as a transformative and conscious influence for students to develop themselves holistically. I see that education is more than the dissemination and retention of theoretical knowledge, rather it is an upliftment of the spirit and soul of both teacher and learner. Through utilizing transformative learning and experiential learning methods, like coaching, visualization, and active discourse, I empower students to embody class topics and apply them as a means of developing themselves and their identities.
Furthermore, my specialization pertains to applying a TLC model of classroom management, in which the classroom becomes a community for transformative learning to occur. My role as the educator is to facilitate the self-inquiry process by supporting students in recognizing their reason for learning, creating psychological safety in the classroom for honest discourse to occur, followed by guided facilitation and mentorship through my demonstration. Next, students are encouraged to embody classroom lessons and activities as a means of experiential learning, and apply their learning through assignments, critical group discussion and projects, as well as during outside class activities. By embracing healthy conflict and challenges, students are empowered to develop their potentials and capabilities, and reflect on their encounters, intrapersonally and interpersonally, as a means of establishing a greater identity formation, meaning, and purpose for their learning journey.
Regarding academic advising and mentorship, I utilize my own experiences as an educator and coach to guide students’ towards achieving their personal and professional learning goals. My coaching approach involves improvement-based methods like Kata Coaching and the GROW model to help students establish clear expectations and take iterative steps towards realizing their goals. In conjunction with a design-based thinking approach, I empower students to continuously empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, and assess / implement the vision of their ideal self.