Dr. Balthazar is a life-long learner and has a deep appreciation for effective teaching. As such, her teaching style and techniques continue to expand and evolve as she continues to learn through professional development, peer reviews, and student feedback. Dr. Balthazar’s philosophical approach to education is grounded in the belief that effective teaching is founded on student-centered learning and understanding how people learn. Dr. Balthazar strives to empower her students by creating a safe and nurturing environment conducive to learning both in the classroom and in the clinical setting.
In healthcare and in life, it is not possible to know everything. Healthcare is dynamic and ever changing. Therefore, beyond memorization of foundational material, Dr. Balthazar focuses a large part of her teaching efforts on encouraging critical thinking and self-directed learning. Nurses need to be aware of knowledge deficits when they exist and be skilled enough to find the information needed to be highly-skilled and effective. Dr. Balthazar seeks to foster these skills by creating a classroom and clinical environment where students actively participate in their learning.