first peer:

I must admit that as a nurse educator, I am continually evolving and my thoughts have transformed tremendously over the years. My strategies towards teaching have a strong foundation in the constructivist theory, which perceives learning as an active process through which learners construct new meaning and knowledge based on their present and past experiences (Bastable, 2013). I hold the belief that genuine learning occurs when the educator keeps the lines of communication open and provides immediate feedback to the learner in a caring and non-threatening manner. I also strive to promote and encourage collaboration among students, as I believe this will enhance the capacity of all individuals to learn.

In addition, as a nursing educator, I am aware that learners bring to the clinical and classroom setting many differing talents, life experiences and learning styles. Therefore, I aspire to customize and tailor my teaching strategies to reflect the distinct needs of the learners. I believe that by using a variety of teaching approaches, I can be in a better position to meet the distinct learning needs of my diverse students and empower them to make a positive impact in the nursing profession. I am also a strong believer in bringing my enthusiasm and passion for nursing to the classroom setting.

Nonetheless, I must reiterate that apart from being a nurse educator, I am also an enthusiastic student with a strong believe that learning should be a life-long process. A major theory that has shaped my practice as an educator and a student is the Social Learning Theory advocated by Albert Bandura, which perceives learning to be a social activity (Aliakbari, Parvin, Heidari, & Haghani, 2015). More importantly, I believe in being a positive role model so that I can make lasting impressions on my students and help to enhance their capacity to provide professional and culturally congruent care.

second peer:

During my first semester of nursing school I had the opportunity to initiate IV therapy. My instructor was patient and overly positive. She had me verbally go through the steps prior to entering the patient’s room. When we entered the patient’s room, my instructor introduced me and told the patient that I had practice in starting IVs. During the procedure she stood by my side and talked me through each step. After the leaving the patient’s room she told me that I did very well and gave me some advice on where I could improve for next time.

The education setting was the hospital room. Her motivation strategy was to give positive reinforcement. The learning theory used for this situation was through passive agents. The delivery of the content was verbal/auditory and kinesthetic. This was my favorite and most respected instructed due to her style of teaching.