University of Michigan-Dearborn
I was hired at UM-Dearborn for the Fall 2023 semester one week before classes began and was given complete freedom to structure the Human Physiology class how I wanted. While I was given the materials from the previously taught class, I was frankly disappointed with what I saw. The lectures were copied directly from the textbook with no mechanisms to engage student interest and learning. Instead of reusing those old lectures, I decided to reinvent the class to become more student focused. I incorporated questions and discussions into lectures to help the students focus on the lesson and get immediate practice thinking about the material. Exams were not simply memorization and recall but challenged students to apply their knowledge and understanding to new concepts to promote higher levels of thinking. Literature labs were held throughout the semester so the students would practice their science literacy skills while also learning the real-world applications of their lessons. Additionally, students were given discussion board posts where they would read general articles about the impacts of physiology topics on society so that they would become more thoughtful and mindful citizens. I believe this exercise is especially important as most of the class planned on going into a healthcare field. Finally, I encouraged students throughout the semester to give feedback and to tailor the class to best help them, even having the students select certain lecture topics that they would most like to learn about. Overall, working at UM-Dearborn has been a tremendous experience in understanding how to best run a class to give my students the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed both in the classroom and beyond.
Certificate in College Teaching
During my time at Michigan State, I became in teaching and devoted myself to become the best instructor I could become. With this goal in mind, I completed the Certificate in College Teaching offered by MSU. This required me to take classes on pedagogy, attend various workshops, and conduct a teaching as research project. Below are descriptions of each required core competency and what I learned from these activities.
Teaching Assistant & Mentoring Experience
Science Communication
Communication is a critical (but often overlooked) aspect of the scientific process. The ability to translate research and complex ideas to a wide audience to hopefully inspire change is now more important than ever. I have taken multiple avenues to attempt to reach different audiences and create an interest in science.
