I am Andrea Shields, Ph. D. My primary professional roles in m life have been as a college professor, a clinical psychologist and a life coach. All of these professions involve facilitating change and growth in individuals and groups. That’s my role in this on-line class also.

I believe that the individual is responsible for her *own learning. It is the responsibility of the professor to provide background, context, information, stimulus questions, challenge and support for the individuals’ own journey. From research and experience, I know that individuals feel best about themselves and value their experiences when each has had an opportunity to meet challenges and yet set his own learning objectives. When things are too easy, the individual devalues it, and when it is too hard, a person becomes discouraged. Thus I have attempted, in structuring this course, to challenge you, to offer you areas to excel and to support your incremental learning.

Psychology is an area that is instantly applicable in each person’s life. Much is being said about how education today must prepare students to work with tools that have not been invented for jobs that have not been developed. That is true. But the principles of psychology will be needed and useful in whatever applications are created. Thus this is a course that is immediately useful, and will continue to be throughout an individual’s life.

It is up to you, the student, to bring your experience, questions, inquisitiveness, to the discussion board. College as a whole, and psychology in particular, encourages and develops critical thinking skills. Those are tools that are necessary whatever the situation or future environment. This class will present opportunities for you to develop and hone those skills.

As for me, I will attempt to challenge and support you. I have been a psychologist and a coach longer than I haven't been. As a psychologist, I have specialties in:

Thus I bring real life experience to almost all the topics we will be covering. I will discuss how the concepts are applied in life. That to me is another part of the role of professor- translation of the concepts and terminology.

Individuals learn best when the experience is fun, stimulating and has intrinsic value. That is my goal for the course.

*Note: His or her will be used alternately when a singular indefinite pronoun is required.