Teaching Philosophy

 

My passion for research and teaching biological sciences stems from my desire to use logical thinking to understand and explore the world around me. To me, true success comes when your passion is your career. As an instructor, having the ability to positively impact my students is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I create a classroom environment where my students know that their thoughts and opinions are welcomed. I create an environment that is a safe place for every person to share their knowledge and enhance their learning. I model critical thinking and create opportunities for students develop critical thinking, networking, and professional skills, that will important for every student regardless of their career path. I want to invest in a person who can take information presented to them, understand its importance and the impact it can have, and then effectively pass that information on in their own way.

 

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

 

The classroom should encompass several tools in order to create a diverse and inclusive setting to empower learning by every student. I use didactic lecture to establish the groundwork for the course and to ensure every student has similar background knowledge and understanding of a topic. Lecture sets the foundation from which students can explore their interests and apply knowledge I typically begin a topic with a class or small group discussion to involve the students in the subject at hand. I believe it is important for the students to feel immersed in the learning process and that they are comfortable speaking on the topic. By presenting material in a systematic fashion and through classroom discussion, students are able to expand their knowledge base. Once a firm foundation of knowledge is created, students will be able to apply the material as needed, but more importantly, they will gain and refine critical thinking skills that will assist them throughout their academic careers.

I am passionate about creating an inclusive classroom environment that encompasses students with diverse learning styles. I use teaching methods that embrace visual, auditory, and kinesthetic techniques to engage all students in the learning process. For example, in lectures, I incorporate real-life examples, video clips, clicker questions, and small group and hands-on activities to complement the lecture material. In my anatomy and physiology courses, groups 2-3 students are asked to design a 10-minute lecture on the current topic of study that can be given to a set audience (high school to early college). They are required to do research, summarize and critique related scientific journal articles, and prepare a presentation. Students are encouraged to use multiple techniques to express their personality and individual learning style through this activity. This helps students to become invested in their own learning process. This also promotes camaraderie among the classmates as well as fosters an active learning environment and empowers students to invest in their learning.

“Your confidence and enthusiasm was awesome.” This comment from a student about my teaching style has empowered me to be someone my students believe in. I strive to make my classroom a fun, but effective environment for learning. I want my students to enjoy coming to my class and to trust that I support them. It is critical to be available and approachable, with an open-door policy to encourage my students to discuss their challenges and successes. This helps to further refine their comprehension of both the material and its application. I make sure my students know that their learning and their goals are my focus, and I do my best to facilitate their success not only in my classroom, but also in their future endeavors.
 

I use assessments and feedback to evaluate how my students are learning and how I can improve my teaching. As an instructor, one is constantly learning and improving oneself. I welcome feedback not only from my students, but also from my peers and supervisors. I have received feedback from students who thoroughly enjoyed my use of visuals and hands-on activities during class but thought that one case study activity used was too long and lost their interest. Using this feedback, I was able to refine that activity to increase student involvement by assigning each student an active role within his or her group. Every classroom is different; no two students are the same. Having an open and adaptable teaching style helps me promote the best learning environment for every student. My goal is to empower them to achieve their highest goals.