Teaching Statement
Teaching Philosophy
I believe that as researchers, we must bear in mind the closely interlinked relationship between research and education. Scientific discovery must be pursued with the end goal of communicating those findings in an open and effective manner. On top of this, education should not simply consist of the distribution of information, but rather should be done with the goal of inspiring others with a deep understanding of the subject and its significance as well as a desire to continue learning and feed back into this cycle of discovery. This philosophy is not limited to a classroom setting, but rather extends to all facets of teaching.
Classroom and lab teaching:
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In classroom and lab settings, I believe in not only teaching the course material, but also teaching students how to learn and giving them a reason to continue learning on their own accord. As educators, we are often given a short amount of time with each student. By teaching them the material, we can hope to leave them with a solid understanding of a particular topic, but by instilling them with a deeper understanding of the significance and intrigue surrounding the topic, we may inspire a curiosity that can lead to a far greater understanding down the road. In my experience as both a student and a teacher, I have found that the most effective way to give students a more complete understanding of a topic is by using interactive activities and discussion to foster a cooperative atmosphere within classes, allowing students to not only fill in the gaps in each other’s understanding left by lectures and readings, but also to provide their own unique perspectives on each matter, leading to a more profound learning experience.
Extension and outreach:
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Looking outside of academia, the extension of scientific knowledge to the public is another vitally important setting where all of us have opportunities to teach. Similarly, I believe that when given the opportunity, it is more beneficial to inspire others than to simply provide information. In an age in which access to information is steadily becoming less of a hurdle, the greater challenge has become sorting through the abundance of available information and having the skills necessary to determine what to rule out. I believe the value of scientific professionals and educators is in inspiring a passion for the world around us, as well as guiding others through this sea of information and providing them with the necessary context to make informed decisions.
Teaching Experience
In my three years as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Maryland, College Park, I’ve had the opportunity to greatly improve my teaching skills and develop my own teaching philosophy in a variety of ways through hands-on experience in classroom and lab settings.
Going into my second year, I began to lead labs for entomology courses, allowing me to work more closely and independently with the material I’m most passionate about.
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BSCI 161: Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lab
During my first semester as a Masters student in Fall 2020, I taught the BSCI 161: Principles of Ecology and Evolution laboratory course. The course’s first entirely virtual semester as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic presented no shortage of unprecedented challenges. Overcoming these challenges required me to demonstrate adaptability to constantly changing circumstances, develop strong communication skills to make up for difficulties in reaching out to a class of primarily incoming freshmen, and explore modern virtual teaching solutions that I was later able to apply to other in-person classes.
BSCI 334: Mammalogy
As a teaching assistant for BSCI 334: Mammalogy, I had the opportunity to not only work with a subject matter outside of my own area of expertise, but to do so in a lecture setting, further broadening my teaching experience.
BSCI 467: Freshwater Biology
As a lab TA for BSCI 467: Freshwater Biology, I gained experience with planning course logistics including managing lab materials and organizing field trips.
BSCI 337: Insect Biology
Finally, as a lab TA for BSCI 337: Insect Biology during a major overhaul in the course, I gained plenty of experience with independent development of course material. Furthermore, seeing several of my students from these two courses go on to pursue paths in entomology afterwards heavily informed my current goal of inspiring students with the subject matter.