Ken Simon

My teaching philosophy and my approach to students are anchored in key principles focused on active pedagogy, adult learning, and reflection. At the core of my philosophy is experiential learning: learning through experience. We often begin a course of study, with a real or simulated experience, prior to the introduction to key concepts or frameworks. Through a combination of deep inquiry and reflection, students unpack experiences. Key concepts, frameworks and other theoretical writings are used as a way to help students analyze and locate connections to other experiences.

My role as teacher is to help facilitate a deeper analysis and support transformative thinking and action. Further, within a learning experience, students translate their experiences into larger understandings about the world around them. I bring this same philosophy to research. Qualitative research design supports students as active researchers and learners. Much of my experience with research has been with case study methodology, ethnography, action research and participatory action research (PAR).

My role as teacher is to help facilitate a deeper analysis and support transformative thinking and action. Further, within a learning experience, students translate their experiences into larger understandings about the world around them. I bring this same philosophy to research. Qualitative research design supports students as active researchers and learners. Much of my experience with research has been with case study methodology, ethnography, action research and participatory action research (PAR).

My professional practice has always been in the education space. I began this journey in outdoor education, then in secondary schools and eventually working with undergraduate and graduate students. Today, I support professional k-12 educators as they transform education spaces to focus on deeper learning, belonging, and closer connections between school and community. My professional practice philosophy is designed to empower individuals and teams. I design learning spaces that include a combination of coaching and group learning experiences. I use action research in my professional practice so that learners can connect more directly with evidence to help them transform their practice to better meet the needs of their community. That transformative process starts with the individual with a focus on mindset shifts or changes, the individual is then able to be a transformative leader in their workspace and their community.

As a young person I spent several years taking teenagers on canoe and backpack trips. Most of the teens that I worked with had never had those kind of experiences before. They grew up in an urban environment, many without the means to travel outside their community. Seeing how those young women and men reacted and interacted in a natural environment was an incredible experience. One young person told me several years later that her outdoor experience “opened her eyes to new possibilities and a different future.” That is why I decided to be a teacher. It has been a commitment for me to contribute to building a socially just and equitable system for students to learn and grow.

This path is not merely an intellectual journey. In one sense it is a whole person experience. Mind, body, and spirit need on-going practices for self-care. Develop rituals for self-care that are meaningful for you. I practiced yoga and meditation (short sessions) before sitting down to research and write. Organization is important but don’t let it overwhelm your process. Dissertation research and writing is messy so find ways to acknowledge and even lean into the mess. Always remember your why for this research and who will benefit from the work that you are doing. Finally, seek joy throughout this process. You are doing something very important to you and to those who will benefit from your research.