TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My biggest transformation in teaching geology has come from teaching multiple semesters in Physical Geology (ERTH 102). Prior to my arrival, I taught two Physical Geology courses at a two-year institution. I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to do in an introductory classroom: give a well-organized, aesthetically pleasing PowerPoint-based lecture for 50 minutes and try my best to interact with the students. Although I continued this strategy for the Spring and Fall 2007 semesters, I now realize I needed to change my approach.
Since arriving at CSU Chico, I attended numerous teaching workshops, read books on different learning styles, collaborated with our in-house Geoscience Education specialist (Dr. Julie Monet), and recently changed the ERTH 102 textbook to a more concept-map based format. All of these things have helped me slowly transform my classroom into a more interactive environment.
I have two broad goals and two specific goals with regards to teaching. My first broad goal is to increase the amount of student learning by improving my teaching methods and student activities. My second broad goal is to keep teaching interesting and exciting for me. To accomplish both, my overall task is to create a classroom where students are actively participating. Whether they are practicing and applying newly acquired skills, explaining concepts to each other, sketching concept maps, or watching live demonstrations and video clips, I want students to be more engaged in the classroom.
I have two specific goals for each lecture session. First, I base each lecture on specific learning objectives and create approximately 10-15 minute blocks dedicated to each objective. My personal rule is to not do any traditional lecture for more than 10 minutes without a change in activity. By changing this frequently, the class stays more alert and active. My second specific goal is to make an effort to learn the names of the students early on in the semester. Having 45 or less students gives me the opportunity to learn their names so students feel more comfortable in the classroom.
By making geology applicable to students’ lives and by using analogs to better explain concepts, my goal for students is to make geology a very graspable science. Most students are not accustomed to thinking about science in terms of asking basic questions, seeking reasonable hypotheses, and testing or researching their findings. Through the semester, I hope to instill the confidence and thoughtful reflection in students so they feel comfortable thinking scientifically and speaking about geological processes. I also hope my students will gain confidence when they are in the field. When the element of discovery is felt as a result of the students’ efforts in the field, and not from simply taking notes during class, then the students walk away with a sense of accomplishment and a more solid understanding of the class objectives. That is why I stress group projects, field trips, and getting outside of the classroom to focus on the rocks themselves and think about geology as an active observer.
However, whatever you get out of a class is directly proportional to the effort and enthusiasm you put into it:
Le = k(Es)
where Le = long-lasting effect on you
k = constant (depends on quality of teacher; can either be positive or negative)
Es = effort and enthusiasm of student.
As a constant student of geology, I learn a great deal from watching teachers of geology. I pay just as close attention to the methods of the teacher as I do the material the teacher is trying to present. I am always thinking: how would I do things differently, and where did the teacher lose me or others in the classroom? The inevitable road block to learning new material is critical to recognize if a teacher is expecting students to grasp the progression of ideas to explain difficult concepts. Although it may seem obvious to the teacher, if particular care is not taken to make sure the fundamentals are being absorbed at the onset, then the teacher risks losing a large portion of the class for a considerable amount of time.
My favorite kind of teaching occurs when I am able to integrate undergraduate research projects with my own research. This appears to be a successful strategy as I tackle the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the local Tuscan Formation. By combining my drive to get a long-term research program started in the Tuscan with the students’ desire to be involved in scientific research, everyone benefits. Especially since the beginning of Spring 2008, I have been helping seniors on a weekly basis to do outcrop-scale projects in the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER). Here, we can have on-the-outcrop discussions of many things that I covered in class, and we can talk about the many challenges and discoveries that are just around the corner, or cliff.
Since arriving at CSU Chico, I attended numerous teaching workshops, read books on different learning styles, collaborated with our in-house Geoscience Education specialist (Dr. Julie Monet), and recently changed the ERTH 102 textbook to a more concept-map based format. All of these things have helped me slowly transform my classroom into a more interactive environment.
I have two broad goals and two specific goals with regards to teaching. My first broad goal is to increase the amount of student learning by improving my teaching methods and student activities. My second broad goal is to keep teaching interesting and exciting for me. To accomplish both, my overall task is to create a classroom where students are actively participating. Whether they are practicing and applying newly acquired skills, explaining concepts to each other, sketching concept maps, or watching live demonstrations and video clips, I want students to be more engaged in the classroom.
I have two specific goals for each lecture session. First, I base each lecture on specific learning objectives and create approximately 10-15 minute blocks dedicated to each objective. My personal rule is to not do any traditional lecture for more than 10 minutes without a change in activity. By changing this frequently, the class stays more alert and active. My second specific goal is to make an effort to learn the names of the students early on in the semester. Having 45 or less students gives me the opportunity to learn their names so students feel more comfortable in the classroom.
By making geology applicable to students’ lives and by using analogs to better explain concepts, my goal for students is to make geology a very graspable science. Most students are not accustomed to thinking about science in terms of asking basic questions, seeking reasonable hypotheses, and testing or researching their findings. Through the semester, I hope to instill the confidence and thoughtful reflection in students so they feel comfortable thinking scientifically and speaking about geological processes. I also hope my students will gain confidence when they are in the field. When the element of discovery is felt as a result of the students’ efforts in the field, and not from simply taking notes during class, then the students walk away with a sense of accomplishment and a more solid understanding of the class objectives. That is why I stress group projects, field trips, and getting outside of the classroom to focus on the rocks themselves and think about geology as an active observer.
However, whatever you get out of a class is directly proportional to the effort and enthusiasm you put into it:
Le = k(Es)
where Le = long-lasting effect on you
k = constant (depends on quality of teacher; can either be positive or negative)
Es = effort and enthusiasm of student.
As a constant student of geology, I learn a great deal from watching teachers of geology. I pay just as close attention to the methods of the teacher as I do the material the teacher is trying to present. I am always thinking: how would I do things differently, and where did the teacher lose me or others in the classroom? The inevitable road block to learning new material is critical to recognize if a teacher is expecting students to grasp the progression of ideas to explain difficult concepts. Although it may seem obvious to the teacher, if particular care is not taken to make sure the fundamentals are being absorbed at the onset, then the teacher risks losing a large portion of the class for a considerable amount of time.
My favorite kind of teaching occurs when I am able to integrate undergraduate research projects with my own research. This appears to be a successful strategy as I tackle the stratigraphy and sedimentology of the local Tuscan Formation. By combining my drive to get a long-term research program started in the Tuscan with the students’ desire to be involved in scientific research, everyone benefits. Especially since the beginning of Spring 2008, I have been helping seniors on a weekly basis to do outcrop-scale projects in the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER). Here, we can have on-the-outcrop discussions of many things that I covered in class, and we can talk about the many challenges and discoveries that are just around the corner, or cliff.