As an educator of science, my number one goal is to excite and inspire my students to pursue a career in our field. Relating how the nature of science is integrated into the everyday lives of my students is very important. I encourage my students to understand that science is a continuously evolving process where there is no absolute explanation. Imparting the importance of science to our everyday lives is crucial to excite and interest students into our field.
The ideal classroom environment has a friendly, constructive atmosphere. Students are encouraged to ask questions during class, to email and to meet with me frequently. I encourage a positive atmosphere for the class by injecting humor into lectures when appropriate. I always start
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Differentiating lessons to students' strengths and learning styles allows for excitement and encouragement of the material. Another example of differentiation was as a graduate student I taught two sections of human anatomy and physiology to undergraduates, one for biology majors and one for non-biology majors as well as an introductory principle of biology course for non-biology majors. The biology majors preferred whole group instruction and a complete understanding of anatomy and physiology behind their study. The non-biology majors enjoyed individual and small group formats of learning to clarify the intricacies of why they were learning the content and how it applied to daily life. To continue to improve my courses within each semester I give out an informal mid-semester evaluation …show more content…
We have visited sites such as local high schools, community centers, and daycares in hopes of enrichment and engagement with our stakeholders. Recently my students taught the anatomy and physiology of the brain using the Plastinate models to local high school, middle school and elementary school children. This semester my students also put on a health fair for the college campus and greater community as part of our 100-level Principles of Fitness course. Yet another visit which connected our material with our community was through my Biology of Aging and Motor Learning and Development courses which combined in examining motor skills of infants and toddlers in daycares as well as motor skills of the elderly in a local senior home. These were valuable experiences for the students in which they