Associate Professor Jason Mills

Philosophy of Teaching

‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire’.

My teaching philosophy is built upon the recognition that the mere acquisition of knowledge alone is not sufficient. As implied by the Latin root of the word Education, educere refers to a ‘leading out’ in learners, and I see my role as an Educator being to help facilitate this and participate in the co-constructing of experiential knowledge through a variety of learning experiences.

My teaching philosophy is learner-centred and focused on the goal of facilitating meaningful learning experiences that foster personal growth and professional capability for clinical practice.

‘Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all’.

Fostering emotional intelligence is therefore an important part of my teaching practice. In doing so, I apply the theory and principles of positive education as a pedagogical foundation to help learners flourish. This is important because contemporary healthcare practice increasingly demands resilience and positive emotions associated with compassion literacy to provide sustainable and compassionate patient care.

My teaching philosophy is consistent with the Advance HE areas of activity, core knowledge, and professional values outlined in the Professional Standards Framework. As a Registered Nurse with clinical expertise in the subject matter being taught, I have a sound understanding of how practitioners learn within healthcare disciplines. I therefore incorporate appropriate methods for teaching/learning and assessment in the subject area and at the level of the academic program. This means drawing upon relevant pedagogical theory and applying real world learning and teaching strategies to promote capability for professional practice in line with Australian Health Practitioner Standards.

Having taught over 20 Postgraduate/Undergraduate subjects across 7 Universities, ultimately, my teaching philosophy is to help learners flourish both personally and professionally, through collaborative partnerships that foster mutual growth.