Eileen's students say her classes are interactive, fun and informative and describe her as an awesome teacher who is very encouraging and supportive. Her colleagues speak of her careful preparation, dedication, hard-work, intelligence and talent. She says she strives to make a difference through her teaching by developing students' knowledge and skills so that in turn they too can made a difference and contribute positively to the lives of the people with whom they work and their communities.
Motivational interviewing is the main focus of her teaching. She describes this as "a way of being, involving collaboration, building trust, honouring the expertise of the individual and their autonomy, drawing out ideas and a deliberate commitment to pursue the welfare and best interests of others and understand their experiences, values and motivations."
Eileen is both inspirational and innovative in her teaching. She creates a vibrant learning environment using experiential and work-integrated learning. Feedback is hard wired into her approach to facilitating learning as is her empathetic style and genuine concern for the well-being and comfort of students. She demonstrates a strong commitment to research-informed teaching with frequent revision of course materials to ensure they are current, topical and accessible for a wide range of student backgrounds.
Bicultural practice is also a key element in her teaching. She delivers this in the classroom through acknowledging what students bring to the learning situation, then engaging with them in activities which help facilitate connections between them and draw on their existing knowledge and experiences. She has written the well-respected Takitaki Mai | A Guide to Motivational Interviewing for Māori, has achieved Te Pourua Reo | the Diploma in Reo Māori and is a previous winner of the College of Science Kaupapa Māori teaching award.
As Director of the Clinical Psychology programme, she is also making a contribution to improving assessment in clinical psychology internationally. She has been an active participant in the UC Health Workforce Strategic initiative tasked with identifying gaps and needs in our local and national workforce which has already led to the development of two new diplomas.
