Teaching

Introduction

I am a counselor educator whose teaching is relationship-centered, evidence-informed, and equity-minded. Drawing on constructivist, experiential, and adult-learning principles, I design courses that are authentic to clinical practice, transparent in expectations, and anchored in timely, actionable feedback.

My classroom—on-campus or online—prioritizes psychological safety, cultural humility, and professional identity development. I routinely integrate technology to support presence and access, and I align learning activities with clear, measurable outcomes.

Purpose. The purpose of my teaching portfolio is to demonstrate how I prepare ethical, culturally responsive counselors through backward-designed learning experiences that connect theory to practice and foster reflective, self-directed learning.

Overview of Contents. This portfolio includes my teaching philosophy, course syllabi and schedules, lesson plans and slide decks, assessment rubrics, sample learning activities, observations/evaluations, and representative student feedback. These artifacts illustrate alignment among objectives, instruction, and assessment across modalities.

Legacy and Professional Development Goals. Becoming a counselor educator inspires me to be grounded within my intentional, flexible, and student-centered teaching practices to ensure that students are provided with meaningful learning experiences. My commitment to teaching includes designing and executing lesson plans, online learning activities, and experiential learning opportunities to promote enhanced thinking. My intention is to utilize tools such as anonymous surveys for feedback, videos, APKs, PowerPoint presentations, and strategies such as nonlinguistic representations to help students connect with the course material I provide. Being interactive with students is an engagement strategy that I also value because I can foster individualism and unique perspectives of students and create an inclusive and connected class. This can be conducted through virtual breakout rooms and speaking with students beyond coursework, but getting to know their professional goals and attributes that contribute to their growth. With this framework, I hope to accommodate students with a diverse range of learning styles that can help them learn and engage in the coursework effectively

Meeting students with various needs are a flexible and adaptable approach that are a core aspect of my teaching philosophy and legacy. I strive to create a fair and nonjudgmental space that can accommodate the needs of students to support their academic success. By becoming an online instructor, I am able to give students the opportunity to self-advocate, learn at their own pace, and encourage them to thrive in their specific circumstances. Gaining feedback from students on a regular basis can increase my own awareness as an instructor and can produce meaningful changes in my curriculum. Overall, I hope to be remembered within my legacy as a counselor educator that provides more than knowledge; I hope to create a healthy learning environment that values authentic connections, growth, and preparation for counselors in training to thrive both personally and professionally.

Kayla’s Teaching Development Plan

Teaching Goal 1

Curriculum Design

Develop more effective course content for a CACREP-accredited course to implement for counselor education and supervision classes.

Action Steps

  1. Research and explore different tools and active learning strategies that can be utilized in counselor education courses.
    Ideal timeline: months 1–2 (literature review, gather resources, attend webinars, connect with faculty).
  2. Select diverse strategies and begin designing activities that are engaging and align with course objectives.
    Ideal timeline: month 3 (choose strategies based on research; draft materials and activities).
  3. Begin with a pilot course, gather feedback from students, and make edits as needed.
    Ideal timeline: months 4–6 (collect feedback via discussions and surveys throughout the semester).
  4. Review feedback and course materials with peers, colleagues, and mentors for a broader range of perspectives.
    Ideal timeline: month 7 (synthesize suggestions to improve the curriculum).

Teaching Goal 2

Instruction & Appointment

Teach a CACREP-accredited course for a clinical mental health counseling program or a counselor education and supervision program.

Action Steps

  1. Identify CACREP-accredited institutions and programs hiring faculty for counselor education and supervision roles that align with values, philosophies, and expertise.
    Ideal timeline: months 1–2.
  2. Build connections through networking in CACREP-accredited spaces (professional platforms, conferences, webinars, and higher-education opportunities).
    Ideal timeline: months 2–4.
  3. Review the portfolio and strengthen credentials (trainings, certifications, development of course materials, gather student/peer feedback).
    Ideal timeline: months 3–6.
  4. Apply for teaching or adjunct roles in CACREP-accredited clinical mental health counseling or counselor education programs.
    Ideal timeline: ongoing beginning at month 6.

Teaching Experience

  • Teaching Assistant for The Helping Professions, UArk, 2024
    • Assisted students with assignments and projects.
    • Graded homework and exams.
    • Led discussion sections.

Publications

Presentations

Download All Documents
Section File Counts
  • Lesson Plans5
  • PowerPoints8
  • PowerPoints for Class1
  • PowerPoints for Class/Helping Relationship Course 20238
  • PowerPoints for Class/REBT Lesson for Doc Class1
  • Syllabus and Schedule2
  • Teaching Observations4

Lesson Plans 5

File NameDownload Link
Ch. 4 GANAG Lesson Plan.docxDownload
Healthy Relationships Lesson Plan.docxDownload
Mindfulness 101 Updated Lesson Plan.docxDownload
Personal Values and Beliefs Lesson Plan.pptx.docxDownload
REBT Lesson Plan_Final.docxDownload

PowerPoints 8

File NameDownload Link
Adlerian Theory PP_FINAL.pptxDownload
Assessment Tasks Ch. 4 Kayla and Lizy.ppt.pptxDownload
Calming the Storm Taming Test Anxiety.pptxDownload
CSI PowerPoint.pdfDownload
Drill 2 - PostTest.pptxDownload
Healthy Communication Strategies.pptxDownload
Holistic Wellness Practices.pptxDownload
Stress Management (2).pptxDownload

PowerPoints for Class 1

File NameDownload Link
Calming the Storm Taming Test Anxiety.pptxDownload

PowerPoints for Class/Helping Relationship Course 2023 8

File NameDownload Link
Concereteness and Open-Ended Questions.pptxDownload
Effective Listening PP.pptxDownload
Healthy Relationships PP 11.26.pptmDownload
Mindfulness 101.pptxDownload
Personal Values and Beliefs in Helping Week 2.pptxDownload
Skills B Practice Day.pptxDownload
Skills B.pptxDownload
The Helping Relationship Model HRM.pptxDownload

PowerPoints for Class/REBT Lesson for Doc Class 1

File NameDownload Link
REBT PP Presentation.pptxDownload

Syllabus and Schedule 2

File NameDownload Link
CNED 3053 Course Schedule FALL 2023.docxDownload
CNED 6013 Advanced Counseling Theory and Methods.docxDownload

Teaching Observations 4

File NameDownload Link
Classroom Observation Form (Instructor).docxDownload
Co-Teaching Feedback (KN).docxDownload
Kayla Classroom Lesson Observation Form.docxDownload
Kayla Observation.docxDownload