Everybody learns differently. As a scientist I learn best when I am actively doing something. I define myself as an active learner. In the classroom, I encourage students to discover how they learn best, by incorporating listening, reading, writing, actively engaging and artistically working through course material into my curriculum. My goal is for students to leave my classroom as better students, with excellent learning habits and a clear understanding of how they learn best. I teach to inspire students on a journey of life-long learning by creating an engaging and organized learning environment that is committed to diversity and inclusion.
Inspiring students to discover their learning style requires students to engage prior to our time in the classroom. In order to prepare, they read the material before class and take a quiz. This approach holds students accountable for class preparation. I provide study guides that pair with power point slides that requires students to fill-in-the-blank as I go through the slides. This keeps the students engaged, while relaxing note taking requirements. I incorporate practices in metacognition by using metaphors and including animations. Allowing students to visualize the biological processes and create concept maps to connect topics to their everyday life. As much as possible I use interdisciplinary approaches to connect subjects, incorporating history into a microbiology lecture or chemistry into a molecular biology concept. I ask students to engage in 'think, pair and share' sessions, where they work collaboratively to discuss topics or answer a questions as a group. As a scientist, I encourage students to approach topics with intellectual curiosity; I pose questions to engage higher levels of critical thinking. I train them to feel comfortable answering questions in a group setting and engage them to think creatively and own their ideas.
For homework assignments, students draw out processes, such as hormone signaling pathways, or graph data; establishing life-long study skills in organization and visualization. In every course, I assign multiple 3-4 page written assignments, in order to teach scientific writing skills and engage critical thinking in written form. For exams, I avoid multiple choice or true/false questions and instead aim to incorporate a diversity of different types of questions (i.e., utilizing Bloom's taxonomical hierarchy of multiple leveled questions).
Creating an engaging and organized learning environment
Establishing an effective learning environment can be a challenge, depending on the class size. Regardless, I make an effort to speak to each student. I learn the student's names, which allows me to address them individually. I go through the syllabus, where I have laid out in detail all my expectations, including policies, grading, and rules. As I am walking them through my expectations, I ask them to highlight key details in order to engage their listening skills. I have them write out their individual expectations and goals for this course, especially as it relates to their career goals. I also ask them to list the topics, from the syllabus or from their own experiences, that they are most excited to learn more about. This gets everyone on the same page and starts the term with clear intentions. I utilize information regarding topic interests to inform my curriculum choices, striving to teach concepts they are most interested in upfront and in more detail in order to encourage a life-long interest in learning.
I am tougher at the beginning of the term, calling out students (generally one-on-one) for disruptive behavior, tardiness, or not turning in assignments on time. This sets the tone of the class and establishes my place as the person in charge. I also encourage students to come to office hours and often hold extra chalk-talk style study sessions outside of class for harder material.
Commitment to Diversity and inclusion
I encourage students to work together and communicate. I constantly intermix groups to keep them engaging with a diversity (gender, age, cultural and ethnic backgrounds) of other students, encouraging them to interact with people outside of their comfort zone. Through these interactions students are exposed to a variety of viewpoints and have the chance to share their thoughts and experiences in a natural way without being singled out.
Through small-group discussions, lab work, field work, and group presentations I encourage them to work together as a team. Periodically, I check in with them about their experiences working as teams and help them to be open to new ideas. In my teaching, I use every opportunity to discuss different cultures and highlight researchers of different backgrounds and embolden my students to go seek out new experiences. I aim to teach them the benefit of working with different kinds of people and give them the confidence to go out and communicate with a diversity of people in the world around them.
Overall, I aspire to support different types of learning by providing students with an engaging in-class experience, while assigning a variety of different assignments to work on outside of class. I teach with excitement and enthusiasm and make the time in class as fun as possible. I am available and approachable to my students and always encourage them to email me with any questions and attend office hours. My goal is for them to enjoy learning, be curious about science and establish excellent learning skills that will last long after our time together.
Inspiring students to discover their learning style requires students to engage prior to our time in the classroom. In order to prepare, they read the material before class and take a quiz. This approach holds students accountable for class preparation. I provide study guides that pair with power point slides that requires students to fill-in-the-blank as I go through the slides. This keeps the students engaged, while relaxing note taking requirements. I incorporate practices in metacognition by using metaphors and including animations. Allowing students to visualize the biological processes and create concept maps to connect topics to their everyday life. As much as possible I use interdisciplinary approaches to connect subjects, incorporating history into a microbiology lecture or chemistry into a molecular biology concept. I ask students to engage in 'think, pair and share' sessions, where they work collaboratively to discuss topics or answer a questions as a group. As a scientist, I encourage students to approach topics with intellectual curiosity; I pose questions to engage higher levels of critical thinking. I train them to feel comfortable answering questions in a group setting and engage them to think creatively and own their ideas.
For homework assignments, students draw out processes, such as hormone signaling pathways, or graph data; establishing life-long study skills in organization and visualization. In every course, I assign multiple 3-4 page written assignments, in order to teach scientific writing skills and engage critical thinking in written form. For exams, I avoid multiple choice or true/false questions and instead aim to incorporate a diversity of different types of questions (i.e., utilizing Bloom's taxonomical hierarchy of multiple leveled questions).
Creating an engaging and organized learning environment
Establishing an effective learning environment can be a challenge, depending on the class size. Regardless, I make an effort to speak to each student. I learn the student's names, which allows me to address them individually. I go through the syllabus, where I have laid out in detail all my expectations, including policies, grading, and rules. As I am walking them through my expectations, I ask them to highlight key details in order to engage their listening skills. I have them write out their individual expectations and goals for this course, especially as it relates to their career goals. I also ask them to list the topics, from the syllabus or from their own experiences, that they are most excited to learn more about. This gets everyone on the same page and starts the term with clear intentions. I utilize information regarding topic interests to inform my curriculum choices, striving to teach concepts they are most interested in upfront and in more detail in order to encourage a life-long interest in learning.
I am tougher at the beginning of the term, calling out students (generally one-on-one) for disruptive behavior, tardiness, or not turning in assignments on time. This sets the tone of the class and establishes my place as the person in charge. I also encourage students to come to office hours and often hold extra chalk-talk style study sessions outside of class for harder material.
Commitment to Diversity and inclusion
I encourage students to work together and communicate. I constantly intermix groups to keep them engaging with a diversity (gender, age, cultural and ethnic backgrounds) of other students, encouraging them to interact with people outside of their comfort zone. Through these interactions students are exposed to a variety of viewpoints and have the chance to share their thoughts and experiences in a natural way without being singled out.
Through small-group discussions, lab work, field work, and group presentations I encourage them to work together as a team. Periodically, I check in with them about their experiences working as teams and help them to be open to new ideas. In my teaching, I use every opportunity to discuss different cultures and highlight researchers of different backgrounds and embolden my students to go seek out new experiences. I aim to teach them the benefit of working with different kinds of people and give them the confidence to go out and communicate with a diversity of people in the world around them.
Overall, I aspire to support different types of learning by providing students with an engaging in-class experience, while assigning a variety of different assignments to work on outside of class. I teach with excitement and enthusiasm and make the time in class as fun as possible. I am available and approachable to my students and always encourage them to email me with any questions and attend office hours. My goal is for them to enjoy learning, be curious about science and establish excellent learning skills that will last long after our time together.
