Welcome to my teaching portfolio.

The purpose of this portfolio is to demonstrate personal growth and skill development through self-evaluation and reflection.

This website is organized based on Ernie Boyer's Model of Scholarship and includes stories and exemplars of my teaching excellence.  To learn more about me, start by reviewing my annual self-evaluations below as well as my current vitae and core beliefs and values.

2015-2016 Mid-Year in Review

This school year started with an opportunity to transfer to the Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus—which cut my 90 minute commute in half.  I continued to teach at both campuses through January while the Owens Campus searched for a new pediatric instructor. 
 
I studied for and passed the Certified Nursing Educator exam, which was a big goal for this year.  I also applied to be support faculty on a study abroad trip.  I didn’t expect to be selected, but was the support faculty for the Cultural Competency and Health course.  We traveled to Cusco, Peru to work in health clinics over Spring Break.

I set the following goals for my second year of teaching nursing at Delaware Tech:
"Do not even attempt a job if you do not plan to do the best you know how."
~Eleanor Roosevelt
Goal
  • Publish at least one article in a professional journal.
Rationale
  • Although not at an institution where I can conduction original research, I continue to believe it is important for academic faculty to contribute their original thoughts to the profession.
Status
  • In process.  I’m working on an article about how staff nurses can use coaching techniques to help their patients achieve health goals.
  • I want to demonstrate my knowledge and expertise as a nursing educator.
  • Achieved.  I was certified on January 22, 2016.
  • Complete at least four Instructional Design courses.
  • The Instructional Design courses are required for new faculty.  Because I am committed to learning about new teaching strategies, I plan to take course beyond those required in order to complete the Instructional Design Certificate.
  • In process.  I completed one course each in the Fall and Spring semesters and am register for two courses this Summer.
  • Attend a national conference about advising or teaching techniques with financial support from the department/college.
  • I find conferences to be very invigorating, refreshing my professional commitment and exposing me to new ideas.  I need to continue my personal development in the area of advising students.
  • On hold.  I had planned to attend the Center for Instructional Development and Education Research Conference at Virginia Tech.  However, with the transition from the Owens to Terry Campus and unexpected opportunity to be faculty on a study abroad trip to Peru, I decided to focus on improving my teaching skills through more local professional development opportunities.

2014-2015 Year in Review

This year was packed full of events with the main goal to complete my master’s degree in nursing and find a job teaching pediatric nursing at the college level.
 
As the year began, I started clinical rotations in the acute care pediatric clinical nurse specialist program at the University of Pennsylvania.  My first clinical was at Kennedy Krieger on their inpatient rehabilitation unit.  I learned an amazing amount about evidence based practice implementation as well as how small hospitals collaborate with larger institutions (Johns Hopkins, in this case).  And working with children with traumatic brain injuries was very rewarding.
 
Over the summer, my clinical was on the cardiac step-down unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  I assisted with the collection of research data for an investigation of the relationship between anesthesia and skin integrity.  I also witnessed amazing open heart surgeries (Dr. Thomas Spray deftly completing the Fontan procedure in under 12 minutes) and worked with kids in CHOP’s new ventricular assist device program.
 
I completed the MSN program on August 5th and began my new teaching job at Delaware Technical Community College, Owens Campus on August 12th.  No time for rest!  I jumped in to my new position teaching three theory sections of Pediatric Nursing and instructing clinical at two hospitals, AI duPont Children’s Hospital and Peninsula Regional Medication Center. 
 
I set the following goals for my first year of teaching nursing at Delaware Tech:
Goal
Rationale
  • The College had recently transitioned from a traditional to a flipped classroom model.  With my background in early childhood education, I was very comfortable with this teaching model—there’s no lecture in preschool!  I wanted to translate my philosophy of hands-on activities to adult education and nursing concepts.
Status
  • Achieved.  Added at least one flipped-classroom activity for each concept covered in theory classes.
  • Participate in at least 30 hours of professional development related to student advising and teaching paradigms
  • Although I was not new to teaching adults or nursing, I felt I needed to increase my skills around student advising and writing NCLEX style test questions. Additionally, the College offers many instructional design courses as part of the New Faculty Development Program and my goal was to complete two courses.
  • Achieved with opportunity for continued growth.  Completed three Instructional Design courses plus  twenty hours of continuing education.
  • Publish at least one article in a professional journal
  • I had written and submitted an article about Clinical Nurse Specialist roles in home health care while in graduate school.  My goal was to follow-up with any revisions necessary to ensure publication because it is important for academic faculty to contribute their original thoughts to the profession.
  • Attend at least one local and one regional conference
  • I find conferences to be very invigorating, refreshing my professional commitment and exposing me to new ideas. 
  • Achieved.  Attended the Delaware Nurses Association Spring Conference, Society of Pediatric Nurses/Nursing of Children Network 11th Annual Regional Pediatric Conference, Katherine L Esterly MD Childhood Development Conference, and the National Academic Advising Association One-Day Academic Advising Conference