Teaching Philosophy
My role as an educator is to guide in the acquisition of knowledge, inspire critical analyses, and engender interest and enthusiasm for biology and biology-based careers. I strive to produce students with the tools and capacity to accomplish their goals and meet their obligations to themselves, their discipline, and the broader community.
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Students must be met where they are. The techniques that “worked for us” are not enough to meet the needs of our students. Students come to us with content gaps and anxieties we need to identify and address for optimal learning. We should be willing to alter our approach to meet their needs, without lowering our expectations. Students learn better when they feel heard and cared for. We all care about our students, but we need to show and tell them that this is the case. I respect their opinions and experience. I give them a voice in my classes. I let them behind the curtain and explain why I make the decisions I do. I let them know I care about them as people, not just students. I do not judge their worth by their performance in my class and know this is the case. |
From article the article: Change the conversation’: Women in STEM make advances, originally published in the April 8 newsmagazine, by Alexandria Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, April 16, 2024. Phot Credit: Von Smith
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be integrated into the classroom. DEI is an important part of ensuring all students feel they have an opportunity to learn and achieve the goals the have set for themselves. The founders of biology were largely male, white, and privileged. Part of my job is to ensure students understand that NOT fitting this mold does NOT preclude their success.
Inquiry is a valuable tool in the acquisition of knowledge. Being “taught” is not the same thing as learning. Authentic acquisition of knowledge occurs when it is pursued for a higher purpose; to solve a problem or to answer a question. Inquisition is the heart of scientific discovery. I use it as tool to teach not just the process, but the language and the concepts of biology.
Gateway courses can set a student up for success. Introductory courses are a place to build not just content knowledge, but also the soft (but hard) skills of time management and effective study. Students must develop a philosophy of knowing and self-advocacy to carry them through the rest of their time on The Hill. I believe in a growth mindset. I want my students to leave feeling confident and positive about their major/career choice and having grown as students.
Constant adaptation is required. I do not believe in a one-size fits-all pedagogy, nor that classes are ever truly “done.” We should not chase after the hottest new technique without ensuring it is a match for our learning objectives, content, students, and our own style. We should, however, always be open to professional development and learning new strategies and effective practices. If they are a match, we should be willing to revise our courses to best meet our students’ needs.
Learn what works. It is our responsibility to monitor the outcomes of the changes we make in our courses. Data collection and analysis allows us to make informed decisions and adaptively manage our teaching practice. We need to be willing to follow the data, adjust practices that fail to meet intended outcomes, and identify those that consistently produced desired effects.
Serve as a catalyst for change. No matter how effective, change cannot live in a vacuum. I believe in documenting and sharing successful strategies with my department and the university. Learning from one another is the best way to ensure our students receive an optimal education throughout their time with us. Beyond WKU, it is my responsibility to communicate my endeavors with the wider post-secondary pedagogical community through scholarly activities.
Inquiry is a valuable tool in the acquisition of knowledge. Being “taught” is not the same thing as learning. Authentic acquisition of knowledge occurs when it is pursued for a higher purpose; to solve a problem or to answer a question. Inquisition is the heart of scientific discovery. I use it as tool to teach not just the process, but the language and the concepts of biology.
Gateway courses can set a student up for success. Introductory courses are a place to build not just content knowledge, but also the soft (but hard) skills of time management and effective study. Students must develop a philosophy of knowing and self-advocacy to carry them through the rest of their time on The Hill. I believe in a growth mindset. I want my students to leave feeling confident and positive about their major/career choice and having grown as students.
Constant adaptation is required. I do not believe in a one-size fits-all pedagogy, nor that classes are ever truly “done.” We should not chase after the hottest new technique without ensuring it is a match for our learning objectives, content, students, and our own style. We should, however, always be open to professional development and learning new strategies and effective practices. If they are a match, we should be willing to revise our courses to best meet our students’ needs.
Learn what works. It is our responsibility to monitor the outcomes of the changes we make in our courses. Data collection and analysis allows us to make informed decisions and adaptively manage our teaching practice. We need to be willing to follow the data, adjust practices that fail to meet intended outcomes, and identify those that consistently produced desired effects.
Serve as a catalyst for change. No matter how effective, change cannot live in a vacuum. I believe in documenting and sharing successful strategies with my department and the university. Learning from one another is the best way to ensure our students receive an optimal education throughout their time with us. Beyond WKU, it is my responsibility to communicate my endeavors with the wider post-secondary pedagogical community through scholarly activities.
