At Oklahoma State University I have had the opportunity to teach a variety of classes focusing on School Psychology (Introduction to School Psychology, Shadow Practicum) as well as classes dealing with Education and Psychology (Advanced Academic Interventions, Academic Assessment & Consultation, and Single Case Design). The classes I teach in my area are highly relevant to my research line and provide a platform for students to be familiarized with assessment and intervention development/evaluation. This symbiotic relationship between teaching and research is fruitful in regards to learning outcomes as many of the research projects our students work on investigate empirical questions that are discussed in class. This research/teaching marriage allows me to equip students with the skills and knowledge to understand and manipulate educational environments that result in socially relevant outcomes for students.

It is my goal to provide instruction that links readings, activities, and lectures to specific skill sets that can be used in applied settings. I structure my classes to target specific outcomes and then scaffold students to generalize these skills across various situations. Specifically, I model or demonstrate the particular skill that is being taught (e.g. assessment procedures, intervention steps). I prompt students to respond to stimuli that elicit the taught skill via questions, activities, or tests/quizzes to provide practice. After sufficient practice is completed and students demonstrate that the skill is learned I set up various situations to teach students to apply the target skill to related activities. Lastly, I like to provide challenging scenarios that require students to incorporate and synthesize multiple behaviors to a particular problem. I use a criterion based system where students do not move on until the targeted skill set is evidenced. Although I target my instruction at applied skill sets that are related to professional employment, I also provide students with a healthy dose of relevant theory. This infusion of theory is meant to provide a general framework to organize thought and promote problem solving in the field. This combination of job related skill sets, strong theory, and research provides a foundation for students to become lifelong scholars that are able to formulate and test hypotheses across applied settings. I continue to refine my skills and work with my colleagues to better achieve these goals.