Teaching philosophy
I stand at the front of the class, following a brief intermission of cycling through the students’ tables. At the students’ tables I might have passed a short encouraging comment along, or perhaps a friendly reminder to return to work. Maybe even an inside joke or two with the students if relevant. But once I take my place at the front of the class, I have only to ask for the students’ attention to find their eyes turned on me. The students are my crew and I am the captain, guiding my students through the sea of biology. But this ship is not ran as a hierarchy. This ship is an opportunity for my students, my crew, to discover in themselves the ability to guide their classmates through the often turbid waters of vocabulary terms and convoluted diagrams. I equip them with the tools and the training through short lectures, thoughtful bits of dialogue, perhaps a quick game if time permits. But this is only the beginning of the journey. It is my hope that the students can take this training and apply it to their own adventure into the sciences. To navigate the realms of experimentation with their newfound knowledge of the scientific method. To explore the chasms of scientific literature with my training as their lighthouse. To embark, like Darwin (and independently, Wallace), on a trade mission in which the commodity is not some rare spice, but instead, knowledge; perhaps, even, scientific discovery.
It has always been my thinking that education is meant to help shape a student for their future. A student is more than a producer of essays and a taker of tests. A student is a product of both their academic and nonacademic experiences, and if a teacher fails to address this, they are doing a disservice to their classroom. A teacher should equip a student with a knowledge on how to learn, for this is what brews passion and curiosity, this is what will stick with a student throughout their life.
It is for this reason that I am passionate about teaching. After years of teaching out in the field, I decided to bring my practice to the classroom. Whether I’m pointing out sloths in the trees or teaching about synovial fluid in the knees, I have fallen in love the art of teaching. I find energy in the sparks of interest I see in my students eyes when they learn something new about their favorite animal, or when they cross over from the realm of “I’m not interested” to the “Wait, this is actually pretty cool-but I’m not going to let anyone know that”. I have experienced first-hand the way their entire framework may shift when it is challenged with new information, and how, when they patch it back together with new pieces, this dynamic perspective is ever absorbing and ever challenging new information. It is the art of learning how to learn, and it is something I do my best to communicate to my students.
It has always been my thinking that education is meant to help shape a student for their future. A student is more than a producer of essays and a taker of tests. A student is a product of both their academic and nonacademic experiences, and if a teacher fails to address this, they are doing a disservice to their classroom. A teacher should equip a student with a knowledge on how to learn, for this is what brews passion and curiosity, this is what will stick with a student throughout their life.
It is for this reason that I am passionate about teaching. After years of teaching out in the field, I decided to bring my practice to the classroom. Whether I’m pointing out sloths in the trees or teaching about synovial fluid in the knees, I have fallen in love the art of teaching. I find energy in the sparks of interest I see in my students eyes when they learn something new about their favorite animal, or when they cross over from the realm of “I’m not interested” to the “Wait, this is actually pretty cool-but I’m not going to let anyone know that”. I have experienced first-hand the way their entire framework may shift when it is challenged with new information, and how, when they patch it back together with new pieces, this dynamic perspective is ever absorbing and ever challenging new information. It is the art of learning how to learn, and it is something I do my best to communicate to my students.