Crystal Watson
Philosophy Paper
Since the beginning of the twenty first century, there have been changes in our global economy and multifaceted world that has shifted the culture of the United States education system. Because of this shift, most educators have taken on the responsibility to change the way they teach, what they teach and change or enhance resources to help them the (educator) keep up with the forward momentum in education. This holds true especially for the nurse educator who works within the ever-changing prism of healthcare today. The purpose of this philosophy paper is for the writer to reflect and analyze their personal philosophy of teaching in the nursing educator role. Key elements of the paper will include the following: nurse educator role in creating a learner-centered environment, expected competencies of nurse educators, preferred teaching style, selection and incorporation of learning theory into one’s teaching style, responsibility of learners, potential challenges to teaching, and life-long learning in the nurse educator role.
Responsibility of the Educator to Create a Learner-centered Environment
As a nurse educator, I should be creative, unique, and strategic when it comes to teaching both novice nurses and tenured nurses. One way to accomplish this is for the nurse educator to create a learner-centered environment. This helps to shift the focus away from the educator and places the focus on the student and their learning needs. This facilitates the student to create their own knowledge, promote critical thinking, endorse collaboration and encourage interaction with other students to allow for a successful learning experience for nursing practice. In this manner, the nursing student can become more familiar with the way they learn and select from various methods of learning through assessment and evaluation of learning experiences that were introduced through the learner-centered environment. Therefore,