Valerie Thompson-Ebanks

Education

M.S.W., University of the West Indies
Ph.D., Colorado State University

 

Research Interests

Experiences of students with disabilities in higher education: academic accommodation, access and success; student veterans challenges, support and success; human diversity issues; social work education; and, rural social work practice.

 

Teaching Philosophy

I pursue a career in academia because I truly love teaching and want to work with those choosing to become social work practitioners and educators. I maximize time spent with students to not just teach class content, but to get to know each student’s needs, strengths and aspirations, and tailor my interaction accordingly to meet their learning and career goals. My teaching philosophy is based on two primary principles: reflective practice (Schon, 1983) and constructivist pedagogy (Bruner, 1996). As a reflective educator, I adjust my teaching strategies and instruction to be more congruent to the abilities and existing knowledge that each student brings to the class. This principle is compatible with being a constructivist in the classroom, where I aim to develop a welcoming and safe, student-centered collaborative environment that allows students to actively engage in the learning process.