Teaching Philosophy Statement: Draft 1

This might be a cheap blog post, but since I haven't blogged in awhile, and have no time right now, I figured I would post this. Our assignment that is due today in my teaching and learning in higher education course is the first draft of a teaching philosophy statement. The professor promises that by the end of the term, it will be interesting to see how it changes, so I figured I'd throw the first draft out there to you all!

Teaching Philosophy

For most of my Undergraduate student career I sat in classrooms trying to pay attention to what seemed like endless information presented in the form of endless lecture slides. Now, I couldn’t recall most of what was in those slides, and I think that still holds true for many Undergrads today. Students learn best in courses in which they become familiar with concepts and ideas in a lecture-type setting and then have the opportunity to not just see these ideas play out in the real world, but experience them. In my third year, I took a Community Ecology course and the weekly lab components mirrored exactly what was covered in lecture. I specifically remember taking many field trips to local conservation areas and trekking through knee-deep snow to count shrubs or trees and measure how the species richness in different communities reflected their current stage in old-field succession. I was frozen and uncomfortable, but I was captivated. I had seen these patterns before in lecture, but they meant nothing to me. Concepts, especially in applied ecology come to life when given significance and applicability to real life.

My experiences in Undergrad courses, both good and bad have helped me develop a few key principles that guide my teaching practice.

1)      True understanding of the material I present is not demonstrated through a student’s ability to recite what “old-field succession” is. True understanding is demonstrated and assessed through the student’s ability to take me outside, and show me where, how and why “old-field succession” happens.

2)      I have high expectations for myself and for my students. At the outset of the course, I convey to them exactly what it is that I expect and exactly what I will provide them with to meet those expectations. This is done by being available before and after lectures and having open help sessions where students can meet with me and other students and discuss topics they may be struggling with. Online forums are also useful to facilitate discussion amongst students, TAs and faculty in a simple, relaxed environment.  

3)       “Every student deserves to be treated as a potential genius” – Anton Ehrenzweig

When I teach the foundations of population or community ecology, or even biology in general, I don’t approach students as if they have a limited capacity to understand the information. Every student has the ability to fully understand all of the material presented and make connections beyond the material presented. They just need to be given the opportunity to demonstrate that knowledge in an environment that is not learning style-specific and one in which they feel safe and confident in their education. I achieve this by ensuring that lectures are interactive, and challenge each student to think about the material and discuss their own interpretations. Any form of assessment whether it be tests, assignments or projects are open for interpretation and material can be presented in many different forms, giving students of all learning styles equal opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.