Teaching Philosophy
Students have more information available at the tap of a finger than any previous generation could have ever imagined. Education has changed with the rapidly evolving information age, and is no longer about dissemination of facts. Although I believe one of my roles as an educator is to be a source of reliable, evidence-based information, my bigger and much more important role is to teach people how to critically evaluate claims, research areas of interest, and make decisions that are based on scientific consensus. At a time when anti-science movements like anti-vax, anti-GMO, and denial of climate change have as much media coverage, if not more, than the real science, I feel that my work as an educator is more important than ever. I also believe that solving the pressing issues of today and tomorrow require diversity of thought, which requires people from diverse backgrounds working together on solutions. Therefore my other key role is to foster diversity and inclusion in my community to the best of my ability.
As with any skill, regular practice is what leads to mastery, therefore science is best learned by doing. Although the experiments I run with my high school students are much more guided than the open-ended labs I ran in the college setting, the principles are the same. Students follow the scientific method by being presented with a problem, coming up with a question, writing a hypothesis, doing an experiment, and then graphing and analyzing the data. One of the things my students struggle with the most is understanding that it does not matter if their hypothesis is supported or not; what I am looking for in assessing their reports is how well they are interpreting their results, drawing logical conclusions from their data, and connecting their results to the bigger context. By looking at their own methodology and data with a critical eye students are honing their skills in evaluating claims.
Students will often ask questions that I do not know the answers to. Most often it is a random fact like “how many miles per gallon does a corvette get” or “how big was the biggest tuna fish ever caught?” In those cases my answer is a quick “I don’t know, google it.” These moments can lead to some interesting discussions, as the question is prompted by a documentary we just watched or a lab we are about to start. In some situations the question is more complex, even if it seems simple on the surface. Recently a student asked “how many trees are planted every day” in response to a fact I presented about how many trees are cut down every day just to make toilet paper. Not knowing the number offhand, we looked together and learned it is many factors more than we cut down for toilet paper. We looked at several sources of information, discussed the difference between number versus quality and location of trees, and clarified why deforestation is still a reason for concern even if tress are being planted in the millions. I think it is key that I model for my students how to research the answers to their questions, and how to draw conclusions based on the best available evidence when the information may seem conflicting.
One of the most impactful professional development experiences I had was hearing Rosetta Lee speak about implicit bias and stereotype threat in our classrooms. She provided real, concrete tools that I use in my practice to foster diversity and inclusion. I have worked hard to implement many of her suggestions in my classroom, including representation on my walls, in my curriculum, and directly and immediately addressing any inappropriate behaviors in a clear and effective way. In all of my interactions with my students I listen carefully to their thoughts and concerns and think fully about my response so that they know they are heard, respected, and that their input is important. I apologize when I make mistakes, modelling for them that sometimes our impact may not have been our intent, but it is important to own our mistakes and learn from them. This work has made not just a better educator, but a better member of my community, and an area I am continuing to learn and grow in. I feel that I am an effective teacher if I can get students to ask thoughtful questions in class, develop skills that will help them succeed long after they complete my course, and leave my classroom better informed about science than when they entered. I know that many of the facts and details discussed in my classroom will be forgotten shortly after the semester ends, but the ability to find information, evaluate resources, and work together will serve my students throughout their careers, regardless if they choose a path in STEM or the humanities. Therefore my goal as an educator is to help them improve on important life skills, using the facts and tools of biology as the medium.
As with any skill, regular practice is what leads to mastery, therefore science is best learned by doing. Although the experiments I run with my high school students are much more guided than the open-ended labs I ran in the college setting, the principles are the same. Students follow the scientific method by being presented with a problem, coming up with a question, writing a hypothesis, doing an experiment, and then graphing and analyzing the data. One of the things my students struggle with the most is understanding that it does not matter if their hypothesis is supported or not; what I am looking for in assessing their reports is how well they are interpreting their results, drawing logical conclusions from their data, and connecting their results to the bigger context. By looking at their own methodology and data with a critical eye students are honing their skills in evaluating claims.
Students will often ask questions that I do not know the answers to. Most often it is a random fact like “how many miles per gallon does a corvette get” or “how big was the biggest tuna fish ever caught?” In those cases my answer is a quick “I don’t know, google it.” These moments can lead to some interesting discussions, as the question is prompted by a documentary we just watched or a lab we are about to start. In some situations the question is more complex, even if it seems simple on the surface. Recently a student asked “how many trees are planted every day” in response to a fact I presented about how many trees are cut down every day just to make toilet paper. Not knowing the number offhand, we looked together and learned it is many factors more than we cut down for toilet paper. We looked at several sources of information, discussed the difference between number versus quality and location of trees, and clarified why deforestation is still a reason for concern even if tress are being planted in the millions. I think it is key that I model for my students how to research the answers to their questions, and how to draw conclusions based on the best available evidence when the information may seem conflicting.
One of the most impactful professional development experiences I had was hearing Rosetta Lee speak about implicit bias and stereotype threat in our classrooms. She provided real, concrete tools that I use in my practice to foster diversity and inclusion. I have worked hard to implement many of her suggestions in my classroom, including representation on my walls, in my curriculum, and directly and immediately addressing any inappropriate behaviors in a clear and effective way. In all of my interactions with my students I listen carefully to their thoughts and concerns and think fully about my response so that they know they are heard, respected, and that their input is important. I apologize when I make mistakes, modelling for them that sometimes our impact may not have been our intent, but it is important to own our mistakes and learn from them. This work has made not just a better educator, but a better member of my community, and an area I am continuing to learn and grow in. I feel that I am an effective teacher if I can get students to ask thoughtful questions in class, develop skills that will help them succeed long after they complete my course, and leave my classroom better informed about science than when they entered. I know that many of the facts and details discussed in my classroom will be forgotten shortly after the semester ends, but the ability to find information, evaluate resources, and work together will serve my students throughout their careers, regardless if they choose a path in STEM or the humanities. Therefore my goal as an educator is to help them improve on important life skills, using the facts and tools of biology as the medium.
College Courses
General Biology: Genetics and Evolution
This course is the first in a two-semester introduction to the life sciences. We focus on two of the most important questions in biology: how do organisms stay the same (the molecular basis of life and mechanisms of inheritance) and how the diversity of life has been generated (evolution). Co-taught.
Animal Behavior
In this course we study animal behavior from an evolutionary and ecological perspective, learning about how animals choose mates, forage for food, find a place to live, defend themselves from predators, communicate with hetero- and con-specifics, raise their young, and interact socially. Students design, conduct, analyze, and present original, independent research in the laboratory sessions.
Plant-Animal Interactions
Plants and animals have been intimately involved for millions of years, and adaptations in both groups reflect this close relationship. In this seminar we explore the ongoing co-evolutionary arms race between plants and animals, covering interactions such as herbivory, pollination, and fruit and seed dispersal. Literature focuses on current issues including the pollinator crisis, genetically modified organisms, invasive species, and global climate change.
Sensory Ecology
In this course we study the way that animals receive, process, and respond to the infinite amount of information available to them using their finite sensory systems. We examine each sensory modality on multiple levels, including how the nervous system receives and processes the information, how the animal responds behaviorally to the information, and the evolutionary and ecological pressures that have shaped the different sensory modalities. We end by examining the way animals integrate information from multiple modalities to make behavioral decisions that affect their fitness.
Field Entomology
A study of the evolution, diversity and ecology of insects. This course consists primarily of fieldwork. In the classroom we identify insects using a dichotomous key, discuss primary literature, and design an original research project. During daily excursions to local field sites we collect and identify local insects, as well as conduct a field research project. This course includes hiking and working outside.
Invertebrate Biology
Greater than 97% of all known animals are invertebrates, making the study of invertebrate biology an enormous field that encompasses virtually all areas of study in biology including ecology, evolution, neurobiology, molecular biology, botany, genetics, anatomy, immunology, and development. Given the immense diversity of this group of organisms, we do not cover every aspect of invertebrate biology, or even every phylum. Instead we survey the major groups with a focus on their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary adaptations.
Ecological Development
This guided seminar course introduces undergraduates to selected topics in the field of ecological development: the study of the development of organisms in relation to their environment. Students read, present and discuss review articles and primary research literature investigating the environmental effects on the molecular and anatomical aspects of development. Topics include: signal transmission from environment to genome, predator induced polyphenisms, developmental symbiosis, and endocrine disrupters.
High School Courses
Ecology
A self-paced, standards-based course that covers the major topics in ecology while helping students build note-taking strategies, time management skills, add to their data-analysis toolbox and practice the scientific method.
Advanced Placement Biology
A survey of the major topics in the life sciences including evolution, genetics, biochemistry, cells and ecology. Labs and other hands-on activities help students hone their skills in critical thinking, data analysis and experimental method.
Advanced Placement Environmental Science
A survey of the major topics in environmental science including ecology, evolution, earth science, energy, pollution, and global change. Students learn through active engagement in weekly laboratories and field work, practicing critical thinking skills while learning how to present data at the collegiate level. All students who take the course are required to take the national exam.
College Prep and Honors Biology
A survey of the major topics in biology, including biochemistry, genetics, evolution, ecology, molecules and cells, and human anatomy. We focus on three fundamental questions that underlie most fields of biology: How are organisms built and maintained from generation to generation? How has the amazing diversity of life been generated through the process of evolution? How do organisms, including ourselves, carry out the processes of life?
General Biology: Genetics and Evolution
This course is the first in a two-semester introduction to the life sciences. We focus on two of the most important questions in biology: how do organisms stay the same (the molecular basis of life and mechanisms of inheritance) and how the diversity of life has been generated (evolution). Co-taught.
Animal Behavior
In this course we study animal behavior from an evolutionary and ecological perspective, learning about how animals choose mates, forage for food, find a place to live, defend themselves from predators, communicate with hetero- and con-specifics, raise their young, and interact socially. Students design, conduct, analyze, and present original, independent research in the laboratory sessions.
Plant-Animal Interactions
Plants and animals have been intimately involved for millions of years, and adaptations in both groups reflect this close relationship. In this seminar we explore the ongoing co-evolutionary arms race between plants and animals, covering interactions such as herbivory, pollination, and fruit and seed dispersal. Literature focuses on current issues including the pollinator crisis, genetically modified organisms, invasive species, and global climate change.
Sensory Ecology
In this course we study the way that animals receive, process, and respond to the infinite amount of information available to them using their finite sensory systems. We examine each sensory modality on multiple levels, including how the nervous system receives and processes the information, how the animal responds behaviorally to the information, and the evolutionary and ecological pressures that have shaped the different sensory modalities. We end by examining the way animals integrate information from multiple modalities to make behavioral decisions that affect their fitness.
Field Entomology
A study of the evolution, diversity and ecology of insects. This course consists primarily of fieldwork. In the classroom we identify insects using a dichotomous key, discuss primary literature, and design an original research project. During daily excursions to local field sites we collect and identify local insects, as well as conduct a field research project. This course includes hiking and working outside.
Invertebrate Biology
Greater than 97% of all known animals are invertebrates, making the study of invertebrate biology an enormous field that encompasses virtually all areas of study in biology including ecology, evolution, neurobiology, molecular biology, botany, genetics, anatomy, immunology, and development. Given the immense diversity of this group of organisms, we do not cover every aspect of invertebrate biology, or even every phylum. Instead we survey the major groups with a focus on their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary adaptations.
Ecological Development
This guided seminar course introduces undergraduates to selected topics in the field of ecological development: the study of the development of organisms in relation to their environment. Students read, present and discuss review articles and primary research literature investigating the environmental effects on the molecular and anatomical aspects of development. Topics include: signal transmission from environment to genome, predator induced polyphenisms, developmental symbiosis, and endocrine disrupters.
High School Courses
Ecology
A self-paced, standards-based course that covers the major topics in ecology while helping students build note-taking strategies, time management skills, add to their data-analysis toolbox and practice the scientific method.
Advanced Placement Biology
A survey of the major topics in the life sciences including evolution, genetics, biochemistry, cells and ecology. Labs and other hands-on activities help students hone their skills in critical thinking, data analysis and experimental method.
Advanced Placement Environmental Science
A survey of the major topics in environmental science including ecology, evolution, earth science, energy, pollution, and global change. Students learn through active engagement in weekly laboratories and field work, practicing critical thinking skills while learning how to present data at the collegiate level. All students who take the course are required to take the national exam.
College Prep and Honors Biology
A survey of the major topics in biology, including biochemistry, genetics, evolution, ecology, molecules and cells, and human anatomy. We focus on three fundamental questions that underlie most fields of biology: How are organisms built and maintained from generation to generation? How has the amazing diversity of life been generated through the process of evolution? How do organisms, including ourselves, carry out the processes of life?