My courses embrace a dynamic and interdisciplinary perspective of the natural world. I employ over-arching themes to which the class returns time and again. In The Visual Art of Biology, for example, we constantly re-evaluate the claim “to see is to know” in the context of visual impairment, photography, drawing and digital media.
Lectures are the primary opportunity to capture students’ interest, because most other forms of communication, from attending office hours to research experience, require the students’ initiative. I think of myself as an an “improv” actor, constantly adjusting to engage the audience. I love it when students in the classroom enter a required course thinking “what’s the point” but leave excited. My favorite part of teaching is when a student understands something new; his or her face lights up with pride, confidence, and interest.
I use a consistent framework in my lectures, beginning class with an outline of the day’s goals. Supplementary handouts (available on the course website) are brief enough that students must attend to learn the material, but emphasize the key topics so students can ask questions. When lecturing, I alternate between taking notes on the board to articulate the most crucial ideas, projecting images to illustrate specialized adaptations and biodiversity, showing graphs from the primary literature so students learn to interpret data, and encouraging small and large group discussions. All these methods foster inquiry-based, active learning. For example, when I introduce evolution in Discovery Core I: Growing Things, I begin by conducting a written survey in which I ask students “Does evolution make sense to you? Explain.” The students’ answers help me identify their preconceptions – both accurate and inaccurate – about the topic, providing a great starting point for discussion. I would address their comments through particular examples of evolution that I illustrate in slides. This kind of classroom collaboration builds a safe environment for controversial topics. The sad truth is that increasing numbers of students fear evolution, but a supportive classroom encourages students to discuss what they find uncomfortable.
Evaluation
I try and turn grades into feedback; I use them to indicate how well you can improve in your next assignment, but also how I can improve my effectiveness as an instructor. I encourage you to write, discuss, present, read and conduct lab activities.
Mentoring
I work with students to identify an appealing research project, ensuring that the work is novel and can be done with the expertise of the Program. I also have weekly lab meetings that serve as a journal club, a time for discussion and an opportunity to practice and constructively critique speaking skills.
I advocate other ways of mentoring such as organizing seminars (with speakers from a variety of backgrounds and careers), collaborating with professionals from other universities, promoting internships, and participating in science outreach programs.
Summary
Teaching begins in the classroom, and flourishes into many different activities, including hands-on research experience and off-campus internships. I employ a multi-faceted teaching style that engages all learning types and approaches topics from many different directions. At this stage in my career, I am eager to mature into an effective, dynamic instructor.