Statement of Teaching Philosophy and Practice

It only takes one good teacher to change a student’s life. I see my role as a professor not only to educate and mentor students with my knowledge and experience of science, but I also strive to help them to develop essential people skills. A great professor champions their students, inspires them and challenges them to pursue their goals and dreams. Below are some of the most important tools that I employ to help my students achieve their academic goals. The effectiveness of these teaching tools can be measured by the success of my students after graduation, many of whom have credited their experience in my classes, with obtaining jobs, internships and graduate fellowships in their areas of study.

• Teaching with your mouth shut[1]. In 2012, I participated in the National Academies Summer Institute on Undergraduate Education, where I learned that lecturing is one of the least effective teaching methods. Students learn much more effectively when they are actively engaged with what they are learning. For example, if I’m teaching a unit on life cycles in plants, I might begin by projecting an image showing the gametic, sporic and zygotic life cycles. I will ask students to work individually to identify which of these life cycles correspond to plants (the other two correspond to animals and fungi). After a few minutes, students would pair up to discuss their conclusions and ask questions. Then I would present a mini-lecture (10-15 minutes) on the basic life cycles of plants, followed by a small group (4-6 students/group) activity where students would be given large sheets of poster paper, markers and a word bank referring to different stages of the life cycles of a particular plant. Students work collaboratively to draw and label the various parts of the plant life cycle and then compare and share their results. In contrast to the passive experience of listening to a lecture, these hands-on activities help students to reinforce learning through teaching and engaging their creativity while actively working through any misconceptions in a cooperative way.

• Learning to think. One of the best ways that I have found to teach students how to think critically is to engage them in the process of designing and conducting a research experiment. In the program “The Fungal Kingdom”, students developed group research proposal and then conducted their group research projects over two-quarter program. The process of writing a formal research proposal, including a detailed literature review and a project timeline, helped students to think critically about feasibility and scope of their research ideas, as well as potential broader impacts of their work. Peer and faculty review of their proposals helped students to articulate their ideas in a clear and meaningful way. Students then conducted their proposed research, including testing the medicinal properties of Pacific Northwest mushrooms, field and herbarium-based projects, mushroom cultivation experiments and air pollution monitoring using lichens. Students worked collaboratively to collect and analyze data while developing time-management, communication and problem solving skills. Students shared their group research findings with the larger academic community at “The Fungal Expo” science fair. Because students had creative and intellectual ownership at every stage of designing and conducting their research, they were able to engage with science on a personal level and develop critical thinking skills that will serve them in their future professional and personal endeavors.

• Connection to place. Place-based education provides a context for experiential and interdisciplinary learning by immersing students in local culture, natural history and community. In 2015 I taught a program that exemplifies this place-based approach to learning, titled Bryophytes and Lichens of the Pacific Northwest. In this upper-division science program students learned about the ecology, taxonomy and conservation of Pacific Northwest bryophytes and lichens. During a multi-day field trip to the Opal Creek wilderness in the Cascades mountains of Oregon students studied old growth forests and learned about the ecology and rich environmental history of the area. Students contributed to an annotated checklist for lichens and moss species by collecting distribution and abundance data and conducting targeted searches for rare species. Back at Evergreen students continued with their field studies of mosses and lichens through campus plant walks and small group research projects. In the lab, students learned to identify local species through microscopy and use of dichotomous keys. Seminars and group exercises reinforced their learning by exploring texts and writing about ecology and conservation policies that impact bryophyte and lichen communities in Pacific Northwest habitats. A place-based approach to learning allowed students to connect larger concepts in ecology, taxonomy and global conservation issues within a real-world context by examining the rich moss and lichen flora of their bioregion.

• Creating a culture of inclusivity. I strive to create a supportive environment in the classroom where everyone can feel comfortable participating and asking questions in class. I find that starting off the quarter with this intention sets the stage for developing a productive and successful learning community. On the first day of class I gather my students in a circle and ask everyone to a share their name, pronouns and some aspect of the program that they are particularly excited about. This simple “ice breaker” brings each student’s voice into the room and helps to establish that in our learning community, each individual is valued and respected. Throughout the quarter I make a point to spend time getting to know my students and to nurture their unique talents and abilities. In turn, I find that my students model this behavior with their peers and do an excellent job of supporting and encouraging one another. Although each one of these activities helps to cultivate a safe and supportive learning environment, this is not enough. I find it essential to make an extra effort to recognize and celebrate differences in race, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental and physical abilities, learning styles and socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds that are so often invisible or underrepresented in the sciences. I achieve this by integrating issues of social justice into weekly classroom activities, such as highlighting the accomplishments and scientific contributions of underrepresented groups in the sciences.

• Transparency. I believe it is essential to be transparent with students about what is expected of them and how they will be evaluated. At the beginning of each class, I present students with a list of learning objectives for that lecture, lab or activity. This approach requires me to be organized and well prepared for instruction. In turn, I expect that my students be well prepared for lectures and laboratories. When I am planning the curriculum for a new program, I first ask myself: “What do I want my students to understand and be able to do by the end of the quarter?”. Then I write the exams and quizzes with the aim of assessing student’s progress towards meeting the learning outcomes. Finally, I design my lectures, group activities and projects to help students meet their learning goals. This method of backwards design[2] ensures that the course content is aligned with the learning outcomes. I also provide regular opportunity for self-assessment through weekly quizzes, in class discussions, worksheets and one-on-one mid-quarter “check-ins”. By setting clear expectations and regular opportunities for “checking in” with students they know what to expect and how to be successful in their learning.

Philosophy of Media Literacy and Information Technology

In every course or program, whether introductory or advanced, I incorporate information technology through course websites, the use of educational youtube videos, facebook or other social media groups. In addition, I often require my students to participate in the creation of web-based resources related to our program coursework, including projects in iNaturalist, a mobile natural history app for recording and sharing field observations (see my educational field activities.doc and here for an example). Students have also written and published popular science blogs related to their individual or group research topics (see examples here and here). In my role as Collections Manager for the Evergreen Natural History Museum, I have led the efforts to digitize our fungi, bryophyte and lichen collections with the support of the Symbiotia program (http://symbiota.org), including ~700 of our lichen and bryophyte herbarium records, which are now available on the online Consortium for Pacific Northwest Lichen and Consortium for Pacific Northwest Bryophyte Herbaria.

[1] This phrase was made famous by the late Donald Finkel, an Evergreen faculty member (1976-1999). He wrote the inspirational education book titled Teaching with Your Mouth Shut, which outlined his innovative teaching methods.

[2] Wiggins, Grant, and Jay McTighe. “Understanding by Design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Education.” (2000).

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