Teaching and Mentoring
Teaching Philosophy:
My teaching philosophy centers around creating an ecosystem of opportunity where a diverse set of students can succeed. This philosophy involves three specific approaches developed over my time in the classroom:
The delivery of learning materials through multiple methods
Sometimes a budding yeast tart cake is a more effective learning tool than an hour long lecture. Students benefit from a variety of inside and outside of classroom instruction including low-stakes and non-graded assignments, self-assessment, textbook readings, lecture-based instruction, or direct interaction in the laboratory. This provides multiple potential avenues for students to learn the material.
Determination of student performance through a variety of assessments, directed at different learning styles and skill sets
My experiences in the classroom have convinced me that training and assessment beyond simply testing the facts a student knows can make clear the unifying skills and attitudes that will be expected from any science-rooted career. A scientist does not simply know facts but can apply newly learned information for novel conclusions!
Developing an open, safe, and accessible classroom culture.
I often find that students come to the classroom with a huge range of goals for their education. To align these goals with my teaching approach, I encourage my students to personally reflect on their own backgrounds and experiences to consider how they approach learning. I’ve found that when we then discuss the approaches, students became more engaged in the class and how it aligns with their personal goals.
