Sarah Johnson

My teaching philosophy incorporates a constructivist approach with a slant toward social justice and inclusion. I believe that learning is a dynamic process that involves not only taking in information, but also engaging critically with that information. As an educator, I strive to engage students in their own learning process, foster critical thinking, facilitate application of knowledge, and challenge preconceptions.

To engage students in a dynamic learning process, I provide students with a variety of means to connect with the course content in ways that encourage ownership of their own education. In general, I prefer to teach and convey course content through experiential learning opportunities that foster engagement and ownership of the material, such as demonstrations, discussion of case studies, and collaborative group work whenever possible.  For example, in my Conceptualization and Diagnosis course, I task students with forming book clubs to read and discuss memoirs written by individuals with mental health concerns. Students take turns leading the discussions and are challenged to craft thought-provoking questions for their peers that invoke a connection between the memoir and other course content. Similarly, in my Personality Assessment course, students choose presentation topics from their own areas of interest and are responsible for assigning relevant research articles to their peers and facilitating discussions based on those articles.

Challenging my students to grow, access and deepen their critical thinking skills is a primary goal of my pedagogy, which is evident in most of my teaching strategies and techniques. For example, in my Personality Assessment course, I utilize sequential-interactive case activities to challenge students to utilize assessment data in determining diagnoses and treatment plans. I give minimal introductory information and placing students in charge of determining initial impressions and requesting additional information they need to test their hypotheses. Thus, students are challenged to not just take in the case data they are given, but to think critically about the data similarly to how they will be required to in their future careers. I also challenge students to utilize critical thinking skills as they interact with readily available mental health content in the media. In my Conceptualization and Diagnosis class, I show students examples of TikTok videos that proport to inform the viewer about specific mental health conditions and then task the students with critically assessing the accuracy of said information.

Throughout my courses, I aim to facilitate a classroom atmosphere that encourages students to challenge and, at times, alter their existing beliefs. I expect students to question assumptions, biases, and previously held knowledge and to be open to the perspectives of others. For example, in my course Conceptualization and Diagnosis, one of the first readings students are assigned is an article about the decolonization of mental health diagnosis. With that reading, I challenge students to identify their preconceived ideas about diagnosis, Whiteness, and the interactions of systems of power, and students are encouraged to engage in respectful dialogue with one another about this difficult topic.

Finally, I believe students need to be able to apply their knowledge to real-world situations, particularly in graduate courses meant to prepare them for clinical positions. As such, I have been intentional about flipping my classroom, requiring students to complete readings, watch video lectures, and engage with other content outside of class time. During class meetings, time is spent focusing on the application of material through group work, small group case study examples, and demonstrations.