Throughout my teaching experiences, I learned many of the skills that constitute excellent teaching at any level. I became proficient in curriculum planning and development and in the incorporation of inquiry-based and collaborative learning activities. I honed my ability to structure presentation of concepts and learning objectives, allowing students to move from basic understanding to synthesis and evaluation. I learned how to implement multiple learning modalities and varied assessment styles to reach a diverse community of learners. As an Assistant Professor at George Mason University, I will bring an emphasis on hands-on environmental science education and apply the pedagogical strategies I sharpened during by classroom teaching experience …show more content…
Additionally, I offer a unique invasion ecology perspective, particularly as it relates to biodiversity and conservation issues. It is my goal to prepare students (whether they pursue careers in the sciences or other disciplines) to evaluate and test hypotheses, to reason quantitatively, to communicate effectively, to appreciate the diversity of perspectives and motives surrounding complex problems, and to become citizens capable of informed decision-making on local and global environmental issues. George Mason University is located in close proximity to a number of natural areas (Rock Creek Park, SERC, various branches of UMCES, Wye Island National Resource Management Area, Chesapeake Bay), which would allow me to incorporate field activities in a range of urban, rural and natural settings within easy reach of campus. The university’s proximity to government agencies that deal with environmental science (EPA, USGS, NOAA, USDA) would also provide abundant opportunities to enrich my classes with speakers who conduct or apply environmental research in their careers. I also plan to incorporate my research results into lectures and class activities in order to give students a chance to work with real …show more content…
In practice, science is conducted in interdisciplinary teams, and I will offer students experiences in collaborative problem solving to bolster confidence in their knowledge and will allow them to absorb significantly more information. Students that take learning into their own hands not only retain knowledge but actually understand concepts and research more than with traditional, instructor-centered teaching. Therefore, I envision my courses being a mix of teaching approaches, with some formal lecture, scientific writing, scientific analysis, discussion groups, presentations, and hands-on activities. I firmly believe in incorporating current research topics into lectures and discussions to show real world applications and how research evolves over time. It also will allow students to be involved in the scientific process of critically examining others’ work and developing their own research questions and hypotheses. Learning how to read and decipher scientific writing is a crucial part of becoming a successful scientist and writer, and writing, itself, would be an important part of the courses I lead with emphasis on revisions and peer review. I will also take advantage of the many universities, research centers, government agencies and NGOs in the area, bringing in local speakers