1. Teaching Philosophy
2. Teaching Experience
3.
Evaluation of my Teaching
4. Professional Development at UCSB
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A. Course Descriptions
B. Evaluations and Comments
C. Communication Workshops
D. Sample Lecture Slides
E. Technology Projects
F. Sample Quizzes
G. Sample Exams
H. Excellence in Teaching Nomination
I. Instructional Development Grant Proposals
J. Sample Handouts & Syllabi
K. Video Consultation Report
L. Faculty Mentor Letter
M. Signature Page
My primary responsibility as a teacher is to provide a supporting role in my student's learning process. I envision four distinct stages where I can make a difference. First, by actively maintaining the lines of communication with my students, I help them to be more comfortable participating both in and outside of the classroom. Next I work to gain the attention of each student by stimulating interest, and thus motivation toward learning more about a particular topic. The third stage involves guiding students through the interactive part of the learning process, i.e., attending lectures, completing homework, discussion questions, quizzes, etc., in order to assimilate the course material. Here, I have found that a teacher's expectations of success can often be a helpful motivator. Finally, by providing honest feedback and an accurate assessment of student learning via verbal and written quizzes, lab practicals, and exams, I believe that I can cultivate top performance by my students.
My overall objective as a teacher is to help my students achieve success as well as intellectual growth. In seeing this process through, I have set four specific goals for myself. My primary objective involves nurturing academic achievement and mastery of the fundamental course content. In time, success and the necessary acquisition of skills required to perform well lead into my second goal of instilling confidence in students. This, in turn, allows the student to foster a healthy sense of self-identity. My third goal is an educational progression toward the development of student autonomy (self-sufficiency). I enable students to learn that they can find answers to their questions and succeed independently of others. Finally, I hope to nurture the development life-long learning interests in my students and perhaps even help cultivate the love of learning itself.
As a teacher I see many ways that I can assist student learning. I work to establish a positive, comfortable climate for learning by conducting class with mutual respect and open, receptive communication (See Evaluation of my Teaching, Appendix B - Evaluations and Comments: Approachable, and Appendix C - Communication Workshops). I view learning as an interactive process involving the exchange of ideas and active participation by each student. To facilitate communication both in and outside of the classroom, I request that each student complete a questionnaire on the first day of class regarding their interests, background, and any experiences relevant to the course at hand. The questionnaires give me a better idea of the general makeup of the class, thus allowing me to tailor my own teaching by making it more applicable to the students in each class.
In addition, the information acquired is a great resource for establishing a current electronic mailing list for class discussion. Furthermore, the questionnaires can also help facilitate student participation. For instance, if I know that a student has had first-hand experience with a particular topic, I may be able to guide the class discussion in a manner that encourages sharing of that knowledge with the class. This communally beneficial situation unites two of my teaching goals by helping to instill confidence and a positive self-identity in the student that is sharing, while making the topic more approachable and immediately relevant to the remainder of the students. Another way I promote communication in my smaller classes is by requiring each student to meet with me early in the course so that we can get to know each another individually. (In the future, I would like to try extending this policy to my larger lecture courses as well.) Overall, I find that opening the lines of communication very early in the student-teacher relationship encourages student participation, which in turn enhances the learning environment for everyone.
My second, and perhaps most important role as a teacher, is to help stimulate my students' interest and motivation toward learning the course material. An obvious first step is to clarify the relevance of the subject matter and activities to the student. Sharing a familiar or personal experience can help students relate to the material, and by asking questions of them, I am able to arouse their curiosity. This is the stage where a teacher's attitude, enthusiasm, and a sincere interest for the subject matter in addition to teaching can make a difference in student learning (for further discussion see Evaluation of my Teaching and Appendix B - Evaluations and Comments). By stimulating interest in a topic, the teacher helps to increase the student's motivation toward learning. Moreover, motivation is crucial to learning; even the best teacher in the world cannot teach someone who is unmotivated to learn.
Once a student's curiosity and motivation to learn have been stimulated, my next role as a teacher is to oversee and provide guidance to each student as they work to assimilate the learned material. Although the broad instructional format is likely to be determined by course type (i.e. lecture, laboratory, field, discussion, etc.), it is still important to employ a variety of instructional strategies, media, and assignments because not all students' learning will be facilitated in the same way. To accommodate diverse preferences and talents I utilize slides, demonstrations, computer presentations, the chalkboard, outlines, and handouts. When appropriate I incorporate videos, acoustic recordings, and real biological specimens. In addition, I have also developed several computer-based learning tutorials to facilitate student learning and competence (for examples see Appendix E - Technology Projects).
While abstract learners may be comfortable with the standard lecture format, students with a proclivity for concrete learning will prefer examples and assignments in which they feel more personally involved. Consequently, when teaching and lecturing I not only include many examples, but I also frequently ask and redirect questions to the class. Thought provoking questions and discussion stimulate everyone's interest and will appeal to the reflective learners in the class as well. In addition, although the active learners crave hands-on experience, examples and case studies provide them with ways to the material. By varying my instructional techniques, strategies, and assignments, I am able to speak to each student's strengths and preferred learning styles. Throughout the process each student will also be gaining experience with their less preferred and consequently less developed styles. This enhances each student's ability to learn in a diversity of situations, and as a result it also facilitates student progression towards autonomy, my third goal.
My remaining role as a teacher is to provide accurate and honest feedback regarding student learning and performance. Experience, both as a student and a teacher, has shown me that characteristics of a test or testing situation have the potential to influence results. For instance, students typically vary in their preference for and performance on various question formats. Consequently, in order to give each student a chance to shine, I employ a variety of methods for feedback, testing, and assessment. Written quizzes and homework assignments are great ways to enable students to dive into the course material (See Appendix F - Sample Quizzes).
Once the students have spent some time studying, I find that verbal quizzing and questioning can be particularly useful because it allows me to provide students with accurate and immediate feedback. Such information not only helps each student to better direct his/her own studying efforts, but it can also alert me to the identity of students who may require (or those that will benefit greatly from) further assistance. Finally, traditional written tests offer a variety of familiar formats to choose from. I feel that essay questions are one of the best ways to determine the full extent of student understanding. As a result, I typically include essay questions on my lecture exams, along with a variable assortment of definitions, matching, fill-in-the-blanks, short answer, and/or multiple choice questions (See Appendix G - Sample Exams).
Laboratory practicals and field exams are two additional testing formats, often suitable in the biological sciences, which should appeal to both the concrete and active learners in the class. Accurate feedback of student performance via written and verbal assessments will facilitate the learning process by providing students with the information needed to evaluate the success of their methods. This gives students the opportunity to modify their strategies in order to achieve their educational goals. Thus, when appropriate feedback is coupled with a student's commitment to success and self-improvement, it will cultivate top performance and exceptional academic achievement. In turn, this instills confidence in students and fosters a positive sense of self-identity. Furthermore, since success breeds success, it is my hope that these combined efforts will cultivate a love of learning itself in my students.
Teaching Associate (Title code 1506) - Winter 2005 - EEMB 138. Ethology and Behavioral Ecology
Teaching Associate (Title code 1506) - Fall 2002 - EEMB 113. Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates
Guest Lecturer - Fall 2004 - EEMB 113. Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates. Lecture topic: Amphibian Classification and Diversity
Guest Lecturer (Santa Barbara City College) - Spring 2002 - BIOL 122. Ecology . Lecture topic: Coevolution and Avian Brood Parasitism
Guest Lecturer - Fall 2000 - EEMB 113. Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates. Lecture topic: Modes of Speciation
Guest Lecturer - Fall 1999 - EEMB 113. Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates. Lecture topic: Systematics and Nomenclature
LABORATORY/FIELD COURSE EXPERIENCE:
Teaching Assistant (Title code 2310) - Fall 1996-2000, 2001-2004 - EEMB 113L. Laboratory and Fieldwork in Vertebrate Biology
Teaching Assistant (Title code 2310) - Winter 1997, 2003 - EEMB 138. Ethology and Behavioral Ecology
Teaching Assistant (Title code 2310) - Spring 2004 - BIOL 5CL. Introductory Biology Laboratory III
DISCUSSION SECTION EXPERIENCE:
Teaching Assistant (Title code 2310) - Winter 1997, 2003 - EEMB 138. Ethology and Behavioral Ecology
Teaching Assistant (Title code 2310) - Winter 2004 - EEMB 131. Principles of Evolution
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPERIENCE:
Guest Scientist (No title code) - 2004, 2005 - SwiS. Saturday with Scientists (SwiS) Program. Lecture title: "Hey where did that weird egg in my nest come from?"
Student ratings and especially written comments have certainly influenced the direction and development of my teaching over the years. My primary concern after teaching EEMB 113L - the lab for Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates for the first few times was the amount of material that the students were required to learn. EEMB 113L is a biodiversity course and it requires students to identify hundreds of species of local vertebrates, in the lab and field. Many students are particularly overwhelmed by the number of lab specimens and this is exacerbated by their limited access to them (scheduled lab time & office hours).
One student recommended, “For further classes… do what you can to keep the lab open longer. I, for example, work full time, take 17 units, intern, occasional research, etc., so I couldn't really make it to the open labs” (eemb 113L, 1997). A second student felt, “The amount of material is absurd, leaving some without a chance” (eemb 113L, 1997). A third student suggested two options, “Either raise the amount of units the class is worth (2 credits) or lessen the amount of material the class should cover” (eemb 113L, 1998). Moreover, it was clear to me from my discussions with the top students in the class that they too found that the amount of material challenging to keep up with and excessive for two credit units.
Initially, I looked into the possibility of increasing the number of credit units for the course. The administration, however, made it clear that this was not a possibility due to funding constraints (arguing that additional units would require additional lab time and thus higher TA salaries, which were not available). Next I considered reducing the number of specimens required for the lab course. It was possible to eliminate a few, but not enough to really make much of a difference.
As a result, much of my efforts have focused on finding ways to help my students learn the material more efficiently, effectively, and consequently perform better and gain a true feeling of accomplishment. I work hard to enhance my students' intrinsic motivation to learn (for a discussion about the importance of intrinsic motivation see section on Motivating Students). I try to do this by stimulating their interest and curiosity for the topic and by trying to make the classroom learning experience fun and enjoyable. This is where my attitude, enthusiasm, and a sincere interest for the teaching and subject matter have really made a difference in student motivation and learning.
The written comments from my student evaluations attest to this. “Amy is very good at making the class interesting and challenging” (eemb 113L, 1996). “She was always excited, even at 8am” (eemb 113L, 2003). She was “very enthusiastic about subject matter (which) helps make it less tedious and boring” (eemb 113L, 2000). “She also made what would be a grueling course tolerable with her humor and attitude” (eemb 113L, 1998). “Amy is very enthusiastic about teaching the vertebrate lab (and it is) nice to have a TA who enjoys teaching the subject matter” (eemb 113L, 1997). “She has made this class very exciting… She also is very friendly and makes the learning environment very enjoyable” (eemb 113L, 1999). Amy “made class very likeable and something to look forward to because of excitement, friendliness, and humor brought to class; (it was) very enjoyable” (eemb 113L, 2003). Amy's “availability outside of class and enthusiasm really made the MANY extra lab hours enjoyable” (eemb 113L, 1997). “Amy is probably the best TA I've ever had in my many years of school both and UCSB and elsewhere. Not only does she possess an incredible amount of knowledge about the subject matter, it is obvious she loves the stuff! Her enthusiasm is contagious and she really made this lab (6 hours/week!!) a lot of fun” (eemb 113L, 1999). (For complete chronological accounts of student written comments regarding my knowledge of the subject matter, approachability, enthusiasm & excitement, and my ability to make the class fun & enjoyable see Appendix B.
In addition to written comments, UC-Santa Barbara uses a computer-based system (ESCI = Evaluation System for Courses and Instruction) to survey and summarize student end-of-course ratings. On these surveys, my “interest and enthusiasm in the subject matter” has been consistently rated “superior” (by more than 90% of all my students; see ESCI Student Survey Statistics: Subject matter). Similarly, most students also rate my “interest and enthusiasm for teaching” as “superior” and the overall proportion has increased over time (see ESCI Student Survey Statistics: Teaching). What's more, the last time I taught eemb113L every one of my students rated my interest and enthusiasm for both the subject matter and teaching as “superior” (see ESCI Student Survey Statistics: Subject Matter & Teaching).
Another way that I try to help my students learn the material more efficiently and effectively is by actively guiding and supporting them through their learning process. Over the years, I have developed a wide range of educational resources to facilitate this process. My activities include updating and revising a lab manual (See Instructional Development Grant Proposals) , developing slide shows, outlines, handouts, quizzes, a digital catalog of specimens (which provided them with “access” to the specimens outside of assigned lab periods), and several computer-based “flashcard” tutorials (see Instructional Technology and Technology Projects). In addition, I try to provide useful hints and advice on how and what to study. I also actively help my students study and review for exams by verbally quizzing them during open lab hours, study periods, and even in the van on the way to field trip sites. I am pleased that the written comments on my evaluations and emails indicate that my students recognize and appreciate my extra effort and hard work. Thus, my added time and energy have been well spent.
“Amy is a great TA. She is always willing to answer question and go very small details as many times as you need. She always is finding ways to help the students out to get the most out of this class. She is very fair and is concerned with her students' well-being. Amy is one of the best TAs I've had here at UCSB” (eemb 113L, 2000). “Amy knew the subject matter very well, and was extremely helpful in assisting students” (eemb 113L, 1998). “She made the class easier by giving helpful tips about learning birds and mammals“ (eemb 113L, 2000). “Amy was the best TA that I've ever had here at UCSB (3yrs). She is very eager to help students (and is) always willing to help” (eemb 113L, 1998). “ She thoroughly explained all the material weekly and was extremely helpful with hints and background explanations” (eemb 113L, 1997). “I felt that the tests and assignments were straight-forward and she did an excellent job of helping us prepare for them” (eemb 113L, 1999). Amy “helped students as much as possible and gave helpful advice for both the lecture and the lab. (She) put in LOTS of outside hours to help students do their BEST!” (eemb 113L, 1997). “ She also helped us review for the tests” (eemb 113L, 1996).
“This was the best lab I've taken here at UCSB. Keep up the good work with the handouts, the very informative reader, and the great field trips! I've learned a lot that will forever help me to be a better bird and animal observer” (eemb 113L, 1998). Amy “tried to help everyone as much as possible, even staying after class. (eemb 113L, 2003). She was “extremely patient and happy to help us; it was wonderful to have been TA'd by Amy. She was very helpful in providing many examples to help us fully understand what we were doing and how we were to do it not only properly but efficiently. She put in a lot of effort in making sure we knew how to write our papers more effectively each time making extremely helpful suggestions and making the course really helpful. (eemb 138, 1997). This was an “excellent and challenging course. (The) handouts, study aides, etc. really helped, as did opportunities to drop into lab for further study time, i.e., open hours. Great and helpful hints!” (eemb 113L, 1998). “Amy did a great job as far as helping her students learn the very difficult material. The first time I took the class I had another TA that was the worst teacher I have ever had and I failed the class. Amy made all the difference in the world for me” (eemb 113L, 1998). (For a complete chronological account of student comments regarding my study aids and ability to help them, see Appendix B.
The positive reinforcement I receive from my students' written comments gives me a feeling of accomplishment and helps to keep me motivated to continue my efforts and development as an educator. I am proud to say that I was nominated for a distinguished teaching award in 2001 (Appendix H) and every year that I have taught, one or more students stated on their evaluations that I was one of the best TAs they have ever had or that the lab was one of the best they have ever had. Students even sent me emails to this effect (See Student email under Appendix B - Evaluations and Comments)
“Amy is by far one of the best TAs I've had. She always encourages class participation and is very clear and thorough with the material” (eemb 113L, mid quarter 2002). “One of the best TA's I've had here at UCSB. Amy's a great teacher and person. She gracefully shares her knowledge with her students (eemb 113L, 1996). “Amy is the best TA I have had since I started attending UCSB. She as a lot of knowledge and is not afraid to share it. In office hours she was very approachable and clearly answered questions. She also would admit when she did not know an answer and either provided it later or showed you how to find it. Great job” (eemb 113L, 1997). “Amy, thank you so much! You are an amazing TA. This class has been, by far, my favorite at UCSB. I loved being out in the field, especially with someone as knowledgeable as you. I honestly feel that I've learned more in this class than in any of my other classes here! Thanks!” (eemb 113L, 2004). “Amy was the best TA that I have ever had at UCSB. Normally I hate EEMB classes; however, with Amy as my TA, this has been the BEST class that I have taken. She knows everything that there is to know about birds. She was down to earth also. Amy you rock! Keep up the good work!” (eemb 113L, 2004). For a complete chronological account of student comments stating that I was one of the best TAs see Appendix B.
Finally, one way to assess my overall development as a teacher over time is to return to the ESCI (Evaluation System for Courses and Instruction) survey ratings. The last question asks students, “How would you compare the overall quality of this TA to the quality of others you have had in the Department of Biological Sciences” at UC-Santa Barbara? This question has notable relevance because the classes I teach are composed mostly of seniors and a few juniors. The graph of my ratings over time illustrate that the first time I taught 67% of my students felt that I was “ Superior ” to the other TAs. This is not a bad start, but the figure jumped to 77% the following year, and gradually increased over time to 100% the last time I was a Teaching Assistant (2004). Thus, being an effective teacher is mutually beneficial! I am able to continually develop and enhance my teaching skills, while at the same time truly providing support and assistance to my students in a way that really makes a difference. The result of this synergistic interaction is that we all perform better and are able to accomplish more!
Since I knew I was going to be a teaching assistant my first quarter, I was particularly thankful that the university organized a Teaching Assistant Orientation program prior to the start of classes. This all-day program helped to calm my worries as a first time TA, while also helping to clarify my role andresponsibilities as a Teaching Assistant. Along with useful teaching strategies and suggestions, the orientation introduced me to the extensive array of the academic and instructional resources available on campus. Over the years I benefited from many of these resources myself and quite frequently referred my students and even other TAs to them as well. Frequently utilized examples include: Instructional Development, Campus Learning Assistance Program (CLAS), and Instructional Computing, among others.
The TA orientation also provided me with a number of useful handouts; I used some a few times and others again and again. For example, a pre-instructional preparation checklist was something that I "grew out of" with experience. On the other hand, I used a "quarter-at-a-glance planning calendar" nearly every time I taught. This calendar allows students to record their entire quarter's assignments in a clear, user-friendly format. Some students even found it helpful to record important dates for other classes on the calendar as well. Regardless, students said that the calendar helped them to plan ahead and not let due dates creep up on them. The TA orientation armed me with a good deal of information, creative new ideas, checklists, handouts, strategies, and a very useful TA handbook (now available on-line). In short, the training better prepared me to not only face my first class, but also all that followed.
In the past, I have used videotaping to improve my horseback riding posture and skills and I was sometimes surprised by my observations. For instance, without the video I hadn't realized that I had been sticking my elbows out, rather than keeping them at my sides. After seeing the video of me riding, it was much easier for me to remember to keep my elbows in. Likewise, I found that the videotaping of my teaching also led to some surprises and changes. For instance, I hadn't really realized the need to provide a short break during my afternoon laboratory sections. EEMB 113L is a biodiversity course and typically the students feel that they need more time in the lab to study the specimens. (But see Instructional Technology for a discussion of Technology Projects that I have developed to help alleviate this issue and provide students with access to a Digital Catalog of Specimens). However, after viewing the video and discussing it with an Instructional Development Consultant it was clear to me that a few minutes of break time would be well spent. As the consultant put it, “the students need to have a break in the activities in order to ‘reset' for the next round of information” (SpearIt, Video Consultant; see Appendix K). Thus, my videotaping experience led to an immediate and permanent change in how I conduct my laboratory sections. I also benefited from a general discussion with the video consultant about teaching goals, methods and strategies. Overall, I found the videotaping experience and discussion to be extremely valuable and I would recommend it to novice instructors and experienced faculty members alike.
Common sense, experience, and research indicate that the more motivated a student is, the harder the student will try, and consequently the more successful and complete the learning process is likely to be (Mayer 2003). Since one of my goals is to help my students succeed and to do well, I am always looking for ways to enhance student motivation. To further this goal, I enrolled in Education 219C: Motivating Students. This course introduced some of the typical "motivational problems" encountered in the classroom and we discussed approaches and strategies relevant to each type. Perhaps most importantly, the course helped me to discover why intrinsic motivation is generally more powerful than extrinsic motivation. When a student views an activity as important or useful to do, they are being extrinsically motivated. On the other hand, when an activity is seen as interesting, enjoyable, and something the student really wants to do, then they are being intrinsically motivated. As teachers, we are perhaps expected to provide our students with the typical extrinsic motivators, such as assignments and grades. However, when it is possible to stimulate or facilitate the development of intrinsic motivation on the part of the students then the learning is likely to be deeper, longer lasting, and more complete. One way that a teacher can help increase a student's intrinsic motivation is to provide positive feedback and verbal praise. It is important not to overuse praise, however, or one runs the risk of diluting its value. A better strategy is to somehow make the activity something that the students' want to do because they find it enjoyable and interesting. My interest for the subject matter and enthusiasm for teaching clearly help me to motivate my students by making class more interesting and enjoyable and my student evaluations continue to confirm this. For instance, as one student put it "Amy made the class interesting and made a huge effort to keep us interested and motivated. I learned a lot! Thanks Amy" (eemb 113L, 2000). A second student said that I "made class very likeable and something to look forward to because of the excitement, friendliness, and humor brought to class; very enjoyable" (eemb 113L, 2003). A third student said, "Amy is an awesome TA. She showed enthusiasm in her work and that helped the class be more enjoyable (eemb 113L, 1996). (For additional student comments and relevant ESCI ratings see Appendix B).
Mayer, R. 2003. Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall
Technology pervades society and computers are rapidly becoming as important to teaching as they are for research. Even during my tenure as a graduate student, I have seen the importance of multimedia crescendo within academia. This is true of the tools I employ for teaching as well. When I first arrived at UCSB I used traditional slides in class and when I guest lectured. However, in recent years PowerPoint has become standard.
Computers also greatly facilitate communication between instructors and students. Mailing lists provide a reliable method for disseminating important class announcements, information, and reminders, as well as relevant internships or other student opportunities. In addition, when I post something to a class email list it seems to prompt more non-related inquires from students than related ones. This suggests to me that a simple email from an instructor can actually promote student-teacher communication and enhance student follow through on questions, concerns, etc. Moreover, technology in the classroom is not limited to PowerPoint presentations and electronic communication. Students frequently utilize the World Wide Web to gather information and background for course assignments as well. Finally, I have found instructional technology to be particularly useful with respect to self-paced learning and study tutorials.
The development of such instructional materials, utilizing multi-media and computer-assisted learning, has been one of the most rewarding (and time consuming) instructional projects I have undertaken. In 2003, I received a Teaching Assistant Instructional Grant (Appendix I) to create a digital catalog of museum specimens for use on the Vertebrate Biology (EEMB 113L) web site. This course requires students to identify hundreds of local vertebrate species. Many students are overwhelmed by the number of specimens and their worry is exacerbated by the fact that they have limited access to them (only scheduled lab time & office hours). The web-based digital catalog I created provides students with around the clock “access” to the specimens. This is something that was unavailable for more than 30 years to the previous students enrolled in this class! This innovative and valuable resource was designed to improve the students' ability to study both successfully and efficiently, but is also useful for instructors as a classroom teaching tool. In 2004, I used the digital photos to create self-paced study tutorials for my students (for examples see Appendix E - Technology Projects). These tutorials were designed to display the photo first, followed by the common name, and then the family name, description and distinguishing features. This protocol allowed students to test their knowledge as they reviewed the specimens. Student feedback on the digital photos and tutorials was very positive. Students appreciated having "access" to the digital specimens outside of normal class time. As one student put it, the tutorials were "very helpful because when you don't have the lab for a week and are unable to make it to office hours, it makes studying for the quizzes much easier! Good idea, thanks Amy!" (eemb 113L, 2004). Another student said, "I know that I and a lot of my classmates benefited from them. Especially before our practical (when we couldn't come into open lab) they were a god send" (eemb 113L, 2004). Typical comments indicated that the tutorials "were definitely useful in studying and incredibly helpful. I very much encourage use of them in the future" (eemb 113L, 2004) and "I thought the flashcards were a great idea and extremely helpful. I can't always make it to open lab hours and having pictures of the birds online saved me a lot of trouble. Thanks to them (and extra credit) I scored over 100 on my bird practical" (eemb 113L, 2004). The students also liked the format that I designed, commenting that "I really enjoyed how the slides showed the picture first before it gave the name. This was a good study tool and I was able to test myself to see if I really knew the birds well" (eemb 113L, 2004).Overall, I was very pleased with the outcome of my technology projects and their positive impact on my students. But the benefits do not stop there; my students are not the only beneficiaries. Not only did these projects provide me with additional grant-writing experience, but they also allowed me to acquire new skills that have contributed significantly to my own professional development. Prior to these projects I did not have any experience with digital photo manipulation or web page development and design. I believe that such abilities are not only important but they are becoming increasingly more necessary in this digital age. The skills and experience I gained from successfully completing my technology projects has not only allowed me to create this web-based teaching portfolio, but it has clearly strengthened my proficiency and preparation for a future academic teaching position.
My experiences as a Teaching Associate have influenced my teaching philosophy and the methods that I have developed to facilitate student learning. In preparation for lecturing, I came across an Instructional Development publication, “New faculty: What makes for success” (Ronkowski, 1994). This article reviews a study (Boice 1992) of two-hundred new faculty members, over a period of two years. The “most successful new faculty” in the study shared a number of attributes, which I have tried to incorporate into my teaching, including a good rapport with and positive attitude about students, a relaxed paced lecture with student involvement, actively seeking advice about teaching, and a readiness to improve their teaching.
It has always been easy for me to maintain a positive attitude about students and teaching because I really do care about both and want them to be successful. I am willing to go to extra lengths and contribute extra time to assist my students in their learning process (see Appendix B - Student Written Comments: Helpful). For instance, when a dozen students missed a week of lectures because of a natural disaster (they were trapped south of Highway 101 by the La Conchita landslide), I organized a special review session to summarize the missed lectures and allow time for questions. In order to accommodate as many people as possible I held this and other review sessions at night. The students let me know that they really appreciated the opportunity and my genuine concern for their success, pointing out that none of their other instructors provided extra assistance.
My genuine concern for my students' success and well-being helps me to have a good rapport with students. I also try to be approachable (Appendix B - Student Written Comments: Approachable), friendly, and to foster open communication (as discussed in Teaching Philosophy and Instructional Technology; see also Appendix C) and student involvement. By providing opportunities for participation during my lectures I help to facilitate student learning. One way that I help my students to prepare for classroom participation is by assigning required readings. I do this at the beginning of each academic quarter by including them on my course syllabi (for examples see Fall 2002 Lecture Syllabus for EEMB 113: Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates and Winter 2005 Lecture Syllabus for EEMB 138: Ethology and Behavioral Ecology). I also remind students at the end of each class about the readings for the next lecture, especially if they are particularly relevant to the topics I plan to discuss. There are other ways that I get my students to participate as well. Sometimes I invite students to share their own knowledge and experience by redirecting questions back to the class to answer. At other times I get students involved is by directly posing my own questions to the class. Personal experience and research have shown that the use of questions before, during or after instruction increases the degree of learning (Ausubel 1963).
Over the years, I have routinely used questioning as an informal way to monitor student understanding in my laboratories and discussion sections. However, during my second appointment as a Teaching Associate I began to integrate my questions for the class directly into my lecture slides (for an example see Appendix D - Sample Lecture Slides). I received early feedback from a student who stayed after class to let me know that she preferred the new format where she could see the question, more than when I simply asked my questions. She said that it allowed her to feel more comfortable and confident about volunteering to answer them. As the quarter progressed, I incorporated increasingly more questions to facilitate student participation.
My evaluations make it clear that students recognize my efforts to promote participation, providing written comments such as, “You did a great job getting the class involved by asking questions, etc.” (eemb138, winter 2005). By maintaining a consistent and visually distinct format on the slides (a yellow box with a red border; see Appendix D - Sample Lecture Slides) students were able to recognize when and what question I would bring up. This gives students a few minutes to think about the question before it is actually presented to the class. Furthermore, I find that clear expectations help to promote high achievement. When students take opportunities to be actively involved in class lectures (and other formats too for that matter) it gives them a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment, which in turn helps to reinforce their motivation and active participation in the learning process.
For all of my courses, I strive to improve my teaching by actively seeking advice and feedback from mentors, colleagues, UCSB Instructional Development, as well as from students. With regards to the latter, I find midterm feedback and evaluations to be especially helpful. Perhaps this is because the students have more motivation to provide useful comments when they too may directly benefit from them. Based on feedback and my own awareness, one trait of Boice's (1992) “most successful” new faculty that I continue to struggle with is my attempt to deliver a “relaxed pace lecture”. The first time I taught a lecture course (eemb 113) students commented, “Sometimes you went a little fast, but things were always clear” (eemb 113 lecture, 2002) and “you can tell that Amy really loves the subject matter of this class, she just needs to remember to slow down her talking during lecture” (eemb 113 lecture, 2002). When I taught my second lecture course (eemb 138), again the earliest (i.e., verbal) feedback indicated that I was going fast; so once again I made a concerted effort to slow my lecture pace.
According to my end of the quarter evaluations, I showed significant improvement with regards to slowing my lecture pace. Although a few students still felt I should go a little slower, many were comfortable with the pace. For instance one student said, “I liked the lectures, they seemed to move fast, which I liked. I wasn't staring intently at the clock, waiting painfully for minutes to pass, like (I do in) most classes” (eemb138 lecture, 2005). Other students suggested alternative reasons for why the lectures “seemed fast”. For instance one student said, “Actually I didn't think you were going too fast, it just seemed fast because there was a lot of information on the slides, but it was clear and easy to look at after lecture for clarification” (eemb 138 lecture, 2005).
Another teaching strategy, which I developed and carried over from my laboratory and discussion section experience, is the use of repetition and review. I always begin my lectures with a brief outline of the topics to be covered and I refer back to it as we proceed through the list. These outlines are also quite useful when constructing a handout for students of important topics, concepts, and vocabulary words prior to a midterm or final exam (For an example, see Appendix J). During my lectures, I also repeat definitions, difficult concepts, and other important information several times, either at different points within a lecture or on separate lecture days. I believe that repetition reinforces the concepts and facilitates recall by the students. Furthermore, the students seem to agree, “You did great, I really like how repetitive you are, it's the best way to learn, and you are really enthusiastic about the subject :-) ” (eemb 138 lecture, 2005).
An additional way I help to reinforce student understanding and recall is by using visual imagery whenever possible, and if appropriate acoustic or video recordings. According to Paivio's (1986) Dual Coding Theory, since humans are thought to have distinct cognitive subsystems for handling verbal and non-verbal information, providing both to students should theoretically enhance recall and thus learning. I know that it certainly does for me and furthermore students have said that they, “liked the variety of material -- sound, videos, pictures” in my lectures (eemb 138, lecture, 2005).
A final strategy, I developed during my second Teaching Associate position, is to start each lecture off with a brief review of the most important concepts from my previous lecture. I typically used this opportunity to promote participation by asking my students to provide the definitions and explanations as we reviewed the material. Finally, in addition to holding evening question and answer sessions prior to exams, I used my last lecture to provide a broad overview of the course and to highlight the most important concepts.
I believe that my Teaching Associate experience has been especially useful in my growth as an educator. I have not only acquired strategies and tools to use in the future, but I have also identified areas that I would like to enhance. I will work to continue the good rapport I have had with my students and I will continue to actively seek out advice and improve my teaching. Furthermore, by setting out to cover slightly less material I should be able to provide more time for discussion and active student participation, while persevering in my efforts to present more relaxed paced lectures. Hopefully, this and my continued preparation will help me to emulate the “most successful faculty members” in Boice's (1992) study.
Ausubel, D. 1963. The Psychology of Meaningful Verbal Learning. New York : Grune and Stratton.
Boice, R. 1992. The New Faculty Member . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Paivio, A. 1986. Mental Representations . New York : Oxford University Press.
Ronkowski, S. 1994. “New faculty: What makes for success.” Instructional News , Spring 1994. UCSB Instructional Development.
You have probably heard the saying that sometimes the process is just as important as the final product. For me, this has been true with regards to assembling this teaching portfolio. Summarizing and reflecting on my teaching experience, goals, and strategies has helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher and allowed me to reflect on my professional and academic goals. I will continue to improve the weaker aspects of my teaching by fine-tuning my methods and actively seeking advice from students, mentors, and colleagues. For example, I will also continue my efforts to find the delicate balance between covering too much material (going too fast) and not covering enough material (going too slow). At the same time, I will also continue to cultivate my student-identified strengths, such as my enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject matter, my approachability and ability to make the class fun and interesting, as well as my true desire to help my students throughout their learning process. Given my firm commitment to academia and teaching, I am sure that this portfolio will be useful in my search for an academic teaching position.
I plan to stay in academia and hope to obtain a position that involves teaching as well as research. I love fieldwork and find that it is a great way to get students both interested and involved in science. My hope is to develop a research program that will not only contribute to science, but will allow me to train future scientists as well. I have a strong commitment to teaching and view the training of the next generation as an important role for academic scientists. By getting students directly involved in research it helps to stimulate their own intrinsic motivation to learn more about the world around them. I am particularly interested in reaching out to women and underrepresented groups in science. I am looking forward to future teaching positions and opportunities to continue my development and proficiency as an teacher. I know that I can make a difference in the world through education.
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EEMB 113. Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates
EEMB 113L. Laboratory and Fieldwork in Vertebrate BiologyEvolutionary and ecological principles as demonstrated by amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals; competition and other species interactions; diversity and systematics with special emphasis on speciation theory. Upper division course for biological science majors. Lecture, 2 hours. Optional lab section = EEMB 113L. Lecture enrollment: 70-80.
EEMB 131. Principles of EvolutionWeekly field trips to numerous locations and laboratory work emphasizing classification, identification, and observation of local terrestrial vertebrates. Introduction to techniques such as trapping and banding to study vertebrates in the field. Upper division course for biological science majors. Laboratory, 3 hours; field, 3 hours. Lab enrollment: 10-16 students/section.
EEMB 138. Ethology and Behavioral Ecology (includes a required laboratory/discussion)A foundation course concerning the mechanisms of evolution at micro- and macro-evolutionary levels, and interpretation of the resulting patterns of adaptation and organic diversity. Required course for biological science majors. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Lecture enrollment: 175. Discussion enrollment: 20-25 students/section.
Animal behavior and social organization viewed from evolutionary and whole animal perspectives. Specific topics stress environmental influences and natural selection and include: classical ethology, development and learning, communication, foraging, aggression, territoriality, mating systems, parental care, altruism, and sociobiology. Upper division course for biological science majors. Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; laboratory, 3 hours. Lecture enrollment: 60-80 students. Discussion/Lab enrollment: 15-25 students/section.
BIOL 5C. Introductory Biology III + BIOL 5CL. Introductory Biology Laboratory III
Introduction to the major groups of microbes, plants, and animals. The diversity of these taxa are examined in the laboratory using living and preserved materials. Part three of a required introductory series for biological science majors. Lecture, 4 hours; Laboratory, 3 hours. Lecture enrollment: ~300. Lab enrollment: 25 students/section.
BIOL 122. Ecology (Santa Barbara City College)
Organisms and populations as integrated elements of communities and ecosystems. Population structure, growth and evolution; relationships between species: competition, predation, coevolution; community structure and development; biodiversity; biogeography. Elective course for biological science majors. Lecture, 3 hours. Lecture enrollment: ~20-30.
SwiS. Saturday with Scientists Program (Additional info - UCSB Outreach, Spring 2004)
This program, developed and executed by Dr. Polne-Fuller, hosts large numbers of high school students from underserved high schools. Buses bring 60-80 high school students, counselors and teachers to spend a Saturday at UCSB visiting labs, experiencing research tools, and learning about the professional lives of researchers in a wide range of disciplines. The students come from either the LABI program (California Legislature for Los Angeles Underserved High Schools), or the UC-FOG program from UCSB Partnership Schools. Interactive lecture, 30 minutes. Enrollment: ~20-25 students/group; 3 groups/session.
One of the best TAs, Fall 2003
ESCI (Evaluation System for Courses and Instruction) Student Survey Statistics
Interest & enthusiasm in the subject matter-ESCI
Interest & enthusiasm for teaching-ESCI
Quality compared to other TAs in the Biological Sciences-ESCI
Dynamics of Interpersonal Communication. An event hosted and organized by UCSB Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), co-sponsored by the UCSB Graduate Student Association. 21 January 2005. Compassionate Communication: A language of the Heart. Workshop by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg of the Center for Nonviolent Communication and sponsored by Santa Barbara Community Colleges. 1 May 2004.
Mentoring in the Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering: Communication, Management Skills, and Strategies. Workshop hosted and organized by Fiona Goodchild, education director of the California Nanosystems Institute & the University of California, Santa Barbara. 7 July 2004.
Lecture Slide Sample - Ethology and Behavioral Ecology - Winter 2005
LECTURE Midterm - Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates - Fall 2002
LECTURE Midterm - Ethology and Behavioral Ecology - Winter 2005
Teaching Assistant Instructional Grant 1999 - to revise lab manual for Laboratory and Fieldwork in Vertebrate Biology (EEMB 113L)
Teaching Assistant Instructional Grant 2003 - to create a digital catalog of museum specimens for use on Laboratory and Fieldwork in Vertebrate Biology (EEMB 113L) course web site
Midterm concept & vocabulary list for students - EEMB 138 - Winter 2005
Lecture Syllabus - EEMB 113: Evolution and Ecology of Terrestrial Vertebrates - Fall 2002
Lecture Syllabus - EEMB 138: Ethology and Behavioral Ecology - Winter 2005
Contents by Amy L. Musante |