To be honest, I was initially unaware of my educational philosophy until our discussion in N227. This conversation made me realize the importance of understanding my educational philosophy. As I explored the module, I recognized that knowing my educational philosophy is crucial as a nurse educator because it directly influences my teaching approach, design of instruction, student engagement, and assessment methods. While completing the questionnaire to identify my educational philosophy, I felt a sense of excitement. I discovered that I scored the highest in "Essentialism," and I immediately read about the characteristics of being an essentialist. Essentialism in teaching emphasizes core knowledge and skills, discipline, and systematic, subject-centered instruction.
Based on the scores, my teaching approach is grounded in "essentialism", which means I believe in focusing on the most important skills in nursing first. In my clinical classes, it is expected that I will teach the basic nursing skills and key abilities before moving on to more complicated tasks. The hands-on training will be planned in a way that helps students learn and master these essential skills before tackling specialized areas of nursing. I will make sure that students practice the important nursing procedures many times so they can get really good at them. To check their progress, I will use skill checklists and grading rubrics. Essentialism also values responsibility, being on time, and following nursing ethics. Therefore, I will expect students to follow all hospital rules, keep patients safe, and behave professionally at all times.
Understanding my educational philosophy strengthens my professional identity as a nurse educator. It helps me stay true to my values, ensuring that my teaching remains effective, purposeful, and aligned with nursing education standards. Additionally, it enables me to clearly articulate my teaching approach when collaborating with colleagues.