Translating Teaching Philosophies into Belonging Signals

Poster

Abstract

Faculty often hold strong teaching values such as care for students, building trust, and course rigor. Students, on the other hand, do not directly experience teaching philosophies; rather, they experience signals of those philosophies through course design, instructor presence, communication, and classroom interactions that shape students’ experiences of belonging (Taff, 2023). As learning environments become increasingly technology-mediated, intentionally translating teaching beliefs and philosophies into visible practices has become increasingly important.

Grounded in the work of Taff (2023) and informed by scholarship on aligning teaching philosophies with teaching practice (Blake, 2024), this poster introduces a practical reflective framework and iterative process for developing and using teaching philosophy statements to support intentional and inclusive teaching. The poster presents a reflective framework centered on six areas of educator reflection. Across these areas, faculty are encouraged to reflect on three dimensions of teaching: beliefs (what they value), actions (what they do), and outcomes (the student experiences and growth they hope to foster) (Taff, 2023). Attendees will also engage in a brief interactive reflection, “Tracing Belonging Backward,” in which they recall a meaningful teaching moment and work backward from a student experience to the teaching actions and beliefs that may have shaped it (Beatty et al., 2009).

Participants will leave with reflective prompts, strategies, and scholarly resources for developing or revising a teaching philosophy aligned with authentic teaching practice and intentionally designed to foster belonging.

References

  • Beatty, J. E., Leigh, J. S. A., & Dean, K. L. (2009). Finding our roots: An exercise for creating a personal teaching philosophy statement. Journal of Management Education, 33(1), 115–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562907310642
  • Blake, J. (2024). Aligning teaching philosophy statements with practice: An evidence-based approach using retrospective think-aloud protocols. Education Sciences, 14(7), 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070795
  • Taff, S. D. (2023). A framework for creating and using teaching philosophy statements to guide reflective and inclusive instruction. Journal of Occupational Therapy Education, 7(3), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.26681/jote.2023.070308 

Presenters

Pooja Potdar

Instructional Designer II

Pooja Potdar (She/her/hers) is the Instructional Designer for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Utah State University. As the college’s first dedicated instructional designer, she leads the design and development of Canvas courses and instructional resources for the newly launched Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program. Her work focuses on creating accessible, consistent, and student-centered learning experiences through collaborative course design and faculty development initiatives. Pooja holds a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Tampa, as well as a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry from Pune University, India. Her passion for emerging educational technologies and for creating engaging learning environments inspired her transition into instructional design. Beyond her role at USU, Pooja enjoys decorating cakes, exploring creative crafts, and creating digital content for a small business through social media platforms.

Heloisa Rutigliano

Associate Dean & Associate Professor

Heloisa Rutigliano (she/her) is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the USU College of Veterinary Medicine. She holds an MS and PhD in Animal Biology from UC Davis and a DVM from São Paulo State University in Brazil. Since 2012, she has taught physiology, immunology, and ethics/professionalism in the WIMU regional veterinary program. She actively promotes teaching excellence across her department, college, university, and professional organizations, and leads an extramurally funded research lab focused on reproductive physiology and immunology in ruminants. She has mentored more than 25 students, from high school to PhD, many of whom have received national recognition. Heloisa’s honors include the USDA Excellence in Teaching Award, USU Teacher of the Year, APLU Western Region Teaching Award, NACTA Educator Award, and the WIMU Excellence in Pre-Clinical Teaching Award. In her free time, she enjoys road and mountain biking, paddle boarding, windsurfing, skiing, and running.