64 Applications: PSYC100 Alumni in Teaching
By Adrianna Armstrong, Riley J.T. Bonar, and Meghan E. Norris
Based on our content on learning, memory, cognitive psychology, and development, it is no surprise that we have many future teachers currently in this course! Teachers are on the front lines of ensuring students receive the best educational experiences possible. We are pleased to share the pathway of one PSYC100 alumnus who has pursued the path of teaching.
Introducing, Adrianna Armstrong!
Adrianna Armstrong is a High School Teacher who graduated from Queen’s in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology! Adrianna had been interested in teaching from a young age and decided to apply to the Concurrent-Education program at Queen’s with the goal of majoring in psychology as that was a subject of interest to her. Adrianna sought out opportunities related to teaching that would give her insight into whether teaching would be a profession that she was interested in (e.g., tutor, TA for PSYC 100, coach/swim instructor, and she volunteered in schools and with programs Queen’s ran for Kingston youth, etc.). Between those opportunities and her teaching placements throughout Con-Ed, Adrianna felt confident that teaching was a career that she wanted to pursue. Where possible, Adrianna recommends getting hands-on experience in fields (or adjacent fields) you are considering. Additionally, Adrianna was fascinated by her cognitive psychology undergraduate courses that discussed mental processes related to learning, which solidified her interest in teaching as she wanted to leverage this knowledge to inform effective pedagogy (teaching practices).
There is so much variability in Adrianna’s days as a teacher! Currently, Adrianna is a high school English and Special Education Resource Teacher, but she also has experience with teaching other subjects in elementary schools. Your day as a teacher can look very different depending on the age group and subject you are teaching. Regardless of these factors, a “day in the life” of a teacher involves planning and executing engaging lessons, connecting with your students and supporting them in reaching their unique goals, finding ways to support social-emotional development, and fostering responsible citizenship in your students. Adrianna loves teaching and she relies heavily on her psychology training daily, as psychological science factors into teaching in several ways. Adrianna utilizes her understanding of cognitive processes related to the science of learning to inform her pedagogical practice. Adrianna’s undergraduate degree in psychology also offered relevant knowledge about child and adolescent development that she found applicable when supporting her students’ social-emotional growth. Further, Adrianna gained unique insight about the value of psychological safety and how to achieve it, as well as the factors that affect a student’s ability to learn and feel safe in the classroom. Adrianna has been able to combine her academic passions of psychology and education, as she is currently completing a Master of Education, where she is studying Educational Neuroscience & School and Counselling Psychology.
By taking PSYC 100, you join a vast community that contains members who have graduated and had a variety of experiences! We caught up with Adrianna and asked what her favourite memory from PSYC 100 was. Adrianna told us she really enjoyed the weekly labs! Adrianna remembers having a great lab group that she had a lot of fun with and that she would look forward to meeting each week. Adrianna also enjoyed the hands-on component and found that it solidified and strengthened her learning. Adrianna offered some advice about careers to students currently taking PSYC 100 and said that a degree in psychology gives you the ability to work in several fields, as the skills it cultivates are transferable and relevant in many domains. It can be overwhelming to decide what to major in and to think about what jobs that could lead to. However, there are SO many different careers that exist that you don’t learn about when you are younger. Try to attend a careers workshop hosted by the psychology department, check out the supports that Queen’s Career Services offers, connect with older students or professors through mentorship programs, and set aside time to do your own research into various careers. You may be surprised by the number of careers a psychology degree sets you up to succeed in!
If you are interested in learning more about what Adrianna does for a living, you can check out the Ontario College of Teachers website!
References:
Ontario College of Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oct.ca/en-ca
How to cite this using APA Style:
Armstrong, A., Bonar, R.J.TR., & Norris, M.E. (2026). Applications: PSYC100 Alumni in Teaching. In PSYC 100: Principles of psychology. eCampusOntario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/testbookje/chapter/applications-psyc100-alumni-in-teaching/
