Teaching philosophy

My primary focus at the undergraduate level is on the learning experience. Good leaders remove barriers from their teams’ path. From a classroom perspective, this entails acknowledging and creating space for the preconceptions that students bring to their learning. Then, creating a learner-centered environment, with infrastructure and opportunities for students to examine a topic through collaborative learning experiences.  In research methods, for example, this looks like spending class time examining student’s assumptions about research, explicitly encouraging peer to peer and instructor to student connections, and requiring engagement with content both inside and outside the classroom through a signature consultation project through which students research a micro-problem in their living environment. These practices align with general Best Practices in College Teaching which identify relational pedagogies, classroom community, and learner-centered instruction as crucial components of student success. Outside of the classroom, this means the proactive development of relationships which builds community, and strategic interventions in the form of mentoring, conflict resolution, and academic and social capital building.

At the graduate level, I am interested in the academic and skill development of graduate students intending to enter fields such as organizational leadership or higher education leadership. My work with graduate students is focused on developing capacity, most often through experiential projects related to research design, and education assessment and evaluation. Confidence and skill building, and a strong support network, are key success factors in the journey to a graduate degree. Having the encouragement and insights of supervisors and advisors throughout the course of a project-based experience is invaluable.

A critical component of my practice as an educator, which is supported in the general Best Practices Guide, is equity. Equity is a guiding principle in most professions involving community or education leadership. In my classroom, this begins with developing connections between students, practicing fair process by discussing community standards for our class environment, and showing vulnerability in my teaching style are some examples of ways that I invite my students to participate in the formation of a diverse, inclusive and safe classroom community. My students describe this environment in their evaluations: “Class discussions...provided an open, controlled environment in which one could freely talk,” “Discussions were open and helpful in learning material. Presentations and readings helped further one's knowledge of conflict resolution.” And, “[Ms. Mauriello] encourages different types of discussion, making sure that everyone feels comfortable being heard.” In this way, I apply my own research on sense of community through my teaching style - understanding that a classroom environment that promotes empathy and a sense of belonging leads to stronger, more diverse experiences and better academic outcomes.