"Learning is an active process"

My broad goal as an educator is to effectively teach biological concepts and skills, such that my students are able to employ the skills they have learned and feel confident in applying their knowledge to new situations as they move beyond my classes. I choose to take a student-centered approach to teaching by engaging my students in active learning, rather than relying on traditional lecture, and giving more emphasis to small group discussion, whole class discussion, and in-class activities. I am also committed to supporting undergraduates in developing their understanding of the nature of science and their research capabilities through Course Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CURES), around which my doctoral work has centered. By utilizing these evidence-based teaching methods in an active learning, student-centered environment, I aim to foster inclusive learning experiences in which all learners are valued, heard, and supported. I encourage students to think critically and thoughtfully, while providing an environment that is conducive to collaboration and group discussion. I am able to give students practice in discussing science with a group by leading whole class discussions following small group discussions. These methods combined give my students the best opportunity to engage with and learn conceptual material, while giving them practice with necessary scientific and communication skills.

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I believe that a teacher should be adaptive and solicitous, and that all students can learn. Each class that I have taught has been a true learning experience for me as much as I hope it has been for my students. I have learned that every student is a unique individual, and every class is collectively different. As an educator, I must be able to adapt my teaching style to cater to the strengths and weaknesses of the student and class. This means that the course material remains the same, but the manner in which it is taught may fluctuate depending on the circumstances. For example, some students learn best when provided a variety of visuals, so utilizing different types of media might be useful. Other students may learn best when discussing it with one another, so facilitating group discussions might be beneficial. By varying the mode of learning, as with labs or scaffolded activities, I can maximize learning as well as inclusion. Implementing these techniques into STEM classrooms has been shown to be beneficial to all learners, especially URM learners. To effectively implement such active learning strategies, I have adopted the backwards-design model when developing a lesson or a course. I do this by establishing intended learning outcomes first, before laying out the specified lesson or course content. Diagnostic, formative, summative assessments are then designed in order to determine whether the learning outcomes are being met, and the learning activities are designed and selected to align with assessments and goals.

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Administering fair and well-aligned assessments of students’ comprehension of the course materials and process skills is an important part of being a teacher. An assessment should accurately gauge the ability of the student to recall the course material, think critically about the concepts learned, and demonstrate achievement of learning objectives. Ultimately, it is the job of the teacher to prepare the students for the assessments and give them the necessary tools to succeed post-course and post-graduation. Student assessment can be achieved in various ways. I assess my students through multiple means including presentations, problem sets, writing assignments, and exams. These varied forms of assessment provide a more accurate set of measurements than traditional exams alone and also serve to decrease the pressure and anxiety often associated with high-stakes testing. I also have experience administering validated survey instruments that assess students’ personal and professional factors, such as self-efficacy, research skills, and future goals. These types of assessments are also useful in assessing the course and the progress of students throughout the course. Furthermore, I have experience with qualitative assessments that will also provide insight into student learning outcomes and perceptions of the material. Ultimately, I hope to continue to apply the same empirical approach to STEM teaching as I have to my STEM research and continue to inform my teaching with data collection in the form of education research.

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The field of biology is broad, but I believe that Biology majors ought to have a solid grounding across all of the sub-fields of biology and connections between them. Among these sub-fields, my passion lies particularly in evolution, ecology and genetics, as such, I believe it is important to foster understanding and appreciation of the history of life, how populations and ecosystems change over time, and how organisms interact with each other and their environments, as well as how this knowledge informs our response to ecological issues and our understanding of human impacts. In addition to fostering student learning of critical biological concepts, effective teaching of these topics through hands-on, inquiry based lab experiences and active learning techniques can have positive impacts on students’ nature of science understanding. This has been shown to help mitigate common misconceptions surrounding the theory of evolution, climate change, and the role of the environment in genetics. I have worked and continue to work towards effectively teaching students and towards communicating how crucial these fields are to understanding other fields of biology.

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As an educator, mentoring and advising students are important roles that, when done well, have been shown to positively affect student learning and success. I continue to work towards building my understanding of individual student needs towards supporting their learning. My experience mentoring and advising students in research, small seminar courses and large-enrollment courses has been instrumental in my continued development of these necessary skills. Furthermore, my dissertation research on who students perceive as mentors and the role that these mentors play in their undergraduate research experiences has given me a unique perspective on different mentoring and advising styles and the potential benefits of each. I plan to continue my development as an advisor and mentor through continued professional development and continued reading of current literature surrounding this topic.

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I take the evaluations that my students give me very seriously, noting what I can do to improve as an educator to keep my students excited and engaged in the course material. My students’ feedback has helped me to design fair assessments and assignments that are beneficial to my students’ learning. My experience in teaching has also helped me to become better at asking engaging questions, facilitating enriching class discussions, and explaining more complex content in an understandable way. When I reflect on my experiences teaching, I am happy to see how much I have learned and evidence that I have improved as an educator over time. Being an educator is a constant learning process, and I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to grow as such.