Teaching Philosophy

My passion for science, ecology, conservation, and educating others about the natural world forms the core of my teaching philosophy.

A core tenet of my teaching philosophy is to foster a learning environment aimed at improving science literacy: creating activities to better understand the nature of science, demystifying science through reading scientific literature and discussing its relevance in society, and using inquiry-based learning to connect student curiosity with the curriculum. For every course that I teach I have a few core objectives: further the knowledge and understanding of my students, teach them to think critically, make the subject matter relevant to them, and facilitate their academic and career success through teaching valuable skills (e.g., using scientific thinking, quantitative skills, and how to give an effective presentation). Additionally, I seek every opportunity to teach my students how to write and communicate effectively, as well as identify real world applications for what they learn. I believe that the learning environment should always have in mind the question, “what will students remember about this course years from now?” Furthermore, I want my students to leave each lesson feeling engaged with the subject matter, invested in their education, and empowered by the knowledge and skills they have developed.

A fundamental part of my teaching philosophy is to cultivate a learning environment welcoming to all students. I utilize equitable and inclusive practices, such as those from the Universal Design for Learning framework, and I continually seek to promote an environment that welcomes ideas formed by diverse experiences and sparks dialogue. I often tell my students that the classroom is a place to kindle curiosity, that their education belongs to them, and that there are no dumb questions (only questions left unasked). I have been fortunate to teach many students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including first-generation, students with disabilities, international students, and military veterans. Teaching them has continually guided me in fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment. In my experience, so much can be accomplished to support equitable and inclusive learning, especially for students who have been historically marginalized (e.g., students from underrepresented and low-income communities), by designing courses with equity and inclusion in mind, creating better access to resources, and creating a respectful learning environment.

For almost every course that I have taught, I have incorporated outdoor instruction to connect my students, and the curriculum, with nature. Additionally, I utilize research-based teaching and learning strategies (e.g., retrieval practice, concrete examples, dual coding) as well as research-based assessments of student learning. Furthermore, I design a curriculum that is learner-centered, and I make apparent the purpose and nature of the learning experience and environment. For example, to develop critical thinking skills, I instructed students in a previous course to develop a pond ecology experiment where they could utilize simple systems to test hypotheses. The goal was for students to employ the scientific method to think critically about interactions between biotic and abiotic factors, understand ecological relationships, and scale up conclusions to understand real world implications (e.g., the effect of pollutants on aquatic food webs). Also encapsulated within that project was the opportunity to develop field and lab skills (e.g., field ecology methods, sample collection, microscopy) as well as experience designing experiments and honing presentation skills.

I teach because I am passionate about developing student knowledge, skills, and cultivating lifelong learners. My experiences as a teacher-scholar continually shape my teaching philosophy and reaffirm my passion for science, ecology, conservation, and education.