Teaching Innovators: Amanda Bennett

Amanda Bennett is a lecturer in the Department of Education and Human Development and coordinator for the learning sciences program. Although she started as an elementary educator, Bennett always oriented her career toward higher education, and specifically using research to aid in-service teachers.

Now, Bennett is poised to help educators in the teaching profession and in industries outside of it through the College’s upcoming Master of Education in learning sciences program. The program will admit its first students in Fall 2025, and Bennett has been hard at work balancing her usual teaching load with planning a graduate program.

We talked to Bennett about the origins of this new program, how she made the move from elementary education to higher education and how her teaching philosophy has remained consistent along the way.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy entails utilizing my extensive and diverse range of teaching experiences to help students reach their full cognitive and academic potential, as well as gain valuable knowledge and skills applicable to real-world situations.

My aim is to teach the whole person by appealing to the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of each student. Throughout my experiences as an educator, my goal has been to model effective teaching practice by actively engaging students’ minds through meaningful learning opportunities that elicit deep understanding, which can be transferred into practical experiences outside of the classroom. To become a more effective educator, I continually reflect on and make improvements to my instructional strategies based on student feedback and current research-based practices.

Drawing on my own teaching experience, I achieve these goals by following three central philosophies. First, students learn best when the atmosphere of the classroom makes them feel respected as individuals, intellectually valued, safe and welcome. Secondly, students learn best when they are engaged in developmentally appropriate activities that allow them to explore and challenge their thinking through the teacher’s support. Finally, students learn best when expectations are clearly communicated, standards are distinctly established and progress in their learning is shared consistently.

These three ideas are central to my teaching philosophy, and I continue to remind myself of how I can best serve my students, so they feel successful in my class and beyond.

How did you approach putting together a new master’s degree in learning sciences?

Since we’ve had so much success with the learning sciences Ph.D. program, the faculty decided that the natural next step was to continue to grow the program with a master’s degree option for students who are interested in learning sciences but are not looking to pursue a terminal degree.

This degree is unique in that we chose to broaden the scope of fields within education and beyond to appeal to individuals in fields across industries. Our curriculum can be applied as easily to the military as it can to nonprofits or health care.

We made the program accessible to working individuals who can earn a degree in five semesters and complete it 100% online. Students will use the expertise they have within their field to expand their knowledge of designing effective learning environments, assessing human learning, and integrating interdisciplinary knowledge to apply theoretical and practical skills to their area of specialization.

It sounds like students will learn just as much from one another. Have you seen students from very different workplaces learn from one another in the Ph.D. program, or have you ever had that experience?

I’ve had that experience. Students learning from one another can be just as valuable as learning from a teacher. What makes the experience of learning from one another unique is that students can use their own experiences to make connections with other students across disciplines and translate their learning from one context to another.

When students see what they’re learning in class through the lens of a variety of disciplines, it enhances and deepens their understanding of the content. For example, students coming from an educational background will have a different understanding of learning theories or assessments of learning compared to students coming from a medical or industry background. However, understanding learning theories and how to assess learning is a universal component when working with learners from all backgrounds or contexts, and when students can see the connection between disciplines, it will deepen their understanding of their own field.

When did you know that the field of education was for you?

From an early age, I knew that teaching was my passion; it came naturally to me. Playing school with my grandmothers, who were also in the education field, solidified my love for teaching, which continued to intensify as I gained more experience in the classroom.

As a former elementary school teacher, what motivated you to make the move to higher education? What do you miss about your time teaching much younger children?

When I went into the field of teaching, initially, I knew I wanted to be in the elementary classroom for several years so I could get experience being a classroom teacher before deciding to pursue my ultimate goal of earning a Ph.D.

The move to higher education was sparked by my interest in conducting research related to teacher in-service training and exploring a variety of instructional practices to examine student development and enhance learning. I miss the innocence and excitement younger students have about learning. I’m not saying college students don’t possess those traits as well, but it is demonstrated differently.

I enjoy teaching young students as well as college students who will one day become their teachers. When teaching at any level, I look forward to coming into the classroom every day as it presents a new challenge or learning opportunity for not only my students but for me as well.

What tips do you have for students in the College of Education that are preparing to be educators?

Educators should spend time getting to know their students and forming strong relationships from the beginning. I’ve found that when you have a positive relationship with your students, every other aspect of teaching becomes easier.

When students feel like you care about their well-being in and out of the classroom, they tend to be highly motivated and place more value on their own learning.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not teaching?

I love being outdoors going on hikes and being by the water with my 4-year-old chocolate lab named Kona. I enjoy spending quality time around my family and friends. In my free time, I also teach workout classes at a local fitness studio.