Teaching is something that I never thought I would enjoy, but was surprised by the joy and fulfillment it brought me after just the first course I was assigned. It was an amazing experience to see the spark of curiosity in the eyes of my students and to know that just as they were learning from my knowledge on the subject of biology, I was learning so much from them that I never anticipated. Since that first course, I knew that if I was going to continue teaching, I would only do it with my whole heart and give 150% effort to providing the best learning experience I could for the students enrolling in my courses. Much of this approach was informed by personal values and beliefs in science, equity, and work ethic. More than anything however, over the years, I have become a proponent of compassion and inclusivity for anyone seeking knowledge through education.

 

Fostering an Inclusive and Safe Environment for All Students

 

           A recently published study stated that inclusive teaching methods designed for a diverse student body are essential for anyone aiming to produce graduates prepared to tackle the array of global issues we face in our modern society. This captures the heart of my teaching philosophy as a whole, and informs one of my primary goals as an instructor. It is of the utmost importance to me to create and foster and inclusive environment. My classroom is designed to protect the integrity of all students while encouraging the discussion of ideas, posing questions, challenging misconceptions and admitting mistakes. From the first day of class, my students are provided with explicit expectations of how we will interact and operate in the classroom. We practice respect by keeping an open mind, allowing others the space to share their experiences and accepting the ways in which they are different from our own. We use inclusive language and honor all identities, and ask questions to learn but never antagonize.

            Academically, I work to nurture effective learning and application rather than memorization and perfect recitation – the main focus should always be to learn new concepts and understand material rather than simply obtain an exceptional grade. To make this obtainable, I commit to providing content material in multiple formats so that each student can find what works best for them. This includes ensuring that lecture and study materials are fully accessible for any and all sensory limitations. Additionally, it is important to note that students learn at different paces and in different ways, and what works for some may not be effective for others. My goal is to provide instruction and opportunity for effective learning and academic success for all students. I aim to meet the educational needs of every student, regardless of the extent of accommodations that are needed.

 

Harboring a Growth Mindset – Focus on Learning

 

           While I strive to meet every student with compassion and an understanding of individual circumstance, I hold high standards and expectations when it comes to quality of work. I believe this is important to demonstrate that they are capable of achieving ambitious goals with hard work. Students should be afforded the ability to be proud of their accomplishments and not settle for less than their best. My goal is to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate understanding and mastery of material over the timespan of the course. In practice, I hold a “revise and resubmit” policy for exams, whereby students can submit revised answers to exam questions they answered incorrectly along with explanations for partial credit. I also utilize replacement scores for second or third attempts at assignments once students display mastery of content. Finally, I design my courses with a comprehensive approach where information is re-introduced multiple times and becomes familiar throughout the duration of the course. This practice allows students to more fully engage and understand concepts and remember their application through familiarity and repetition.

        In my own personal growth, I hope to demonstrate my commitment through continued education and efforts toward professional development. These efforts are supported by online and in-person workshops, collaborations, department meetings, implementing student and peer feedback, and staying current on literature pertaining to best practices in teaching.

 

Personal Development Through Critical Thinking

 

          My greatest goal reaches beyond the classroom, as I believe any endeavor to improve oneself – whether it be higher education or otherwise – should feed the soul and cultivate kindness and compassion. As an educator, I hope to provide information that challenges preconceptions, encourages critical thinking, and affects lasting change in judgmental and stigmatized thinking toward marginalized and at-risk populations (e.g. those facing substance use issues, mental health issues, neurodivergence). This is indeed an enthusiastic goal that requires focus and zeal, but I approach it with a scientific mind focused on curiosity and evidence. First, I encourage students to challenge their perceptions by asking why it is they see things the way they do. We are all initially a product of our environment and upbringing. This doesn’t change without intention and is often accompanied by some growing pains. By presenting factual evidence, by revealing what the research has discovered (especially when it seems counterintuitive), and by continually pushing students to step outside what they know to be comfortable, they can gain appreciation of individual differences, and acquire an ability to recognize how diverse backgrounds, intersectionality, implicit bias, systemic -isms and lived experience contribute to society and our social infrastructure. This openness and acceptance breeds a desire to destigmatize societal/social norms with knowledge.

           An inherent piece of this puzzle is learning to discern accurate and correct information from the noise that is all too abundant. I work to integrate opportunities to practice finding quality, evidence-based information in all my courses. We work as a group to identify bias and stigma in media, news and everyday life. I have been privy to significant and thoughtful discussions in my classroom based on evaluating and understanding the basis of arguments specifically surrounding drug policy and the members of society who are impacted by it most. Allowing students a space to safely pick apart theories and ideas they have been conditioned to adhere to is one of the more rewarding and encouraging aspects of my teaching experiences this far.

           Ultimately, this goal encompasses each of the others preceding it, pushing for personal growth in areas including social responsibility, self-efficacy, and advocacy for self and others by acknowledging what is true, and by doing so in a space that is safe for all students. They will quickly learn that what they say and do matters and can have a lasting effect on others and society as a whole.