MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

My teaching philosophy is centered around 2 core principles: to get students to think about science as a process and to individualize their learning experiences.

As a child, I first wanted to be a teacher because that’s all I saw daily, and I wanted to impact the next generation’s lives like my teachers had done for me. As an undergraduate student at Mercer, a predominately white institution, I rarely saw African-American professors represented in the sciences. This was hard to believe coming from a predominately African – American primary and secondary school system. I would like to become a professor to be a role model for the next generation of minority scientists that if a small town, country girl can make it, so can them. Even though my mom just received her GED after having my oldest brother, she always worked hard to take care of us and often said “I am working in a factory so that you all do not have to. I want you all to OWN it.” Being a first-generation college graduate, right after my sister, I did not have the different role models in my family to make me aware of the importance of a post-secondary education and the process it was going to take to get there.

Progressing through graduate school allowed me to define learning as a personal process of growth. Being able to think critically and ask questions, while attempting to answer those questions was my motivation. The same method flows into my classroom, where I encourage students to think of simple questions they have and begin questioning the facts in the textbook. As the American anthropologist, Margaret Mead once said, “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” To keep students motivated, I have found that it is important to be a creative teacher, by utilizing various active learning methods like group discussions and peer teaching or presentations in the classroom. As I observed in school, most students rarely admit that they don’t know anything in fear of embarrassment, so using alternative methods that allow them to bring their misunderstandings to light provides an avenue for me to determine whether my teaching is effective.

I have tried to be not only a mentor, but a teacher in learning, by providing my students with opportunities to learn in ways they are most likely to benefit from. Since the first moments as a teaching assistant in college, I realized how precious the time was with my students, and how I wished to help them find their love for biology. I have noticed that most students are not like me with a good photographic memory as they need more visuals and hands-on methods of learning. Another tool that I find equally effective in the classroom, and in life, is to establish rapport with my students by making it a point to get to know my students, not just by name, but by asking them to think about their personal goals as potential future scientists or medical professionals.

Education Statement

I aim to bring an open mind, a positive attitude, and high expectations to the classroom each day. I believe that I owe it to my students, as well as the community, to bring consistency, diligence, and warmth to my job in the hope that I can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the students as well.