Teaching Philosophy

 

My favorite teaching style involves hands on learning, or “learning by doing” to instill a love of learning by engaging students. This stems from my experience in leading educational programs with the National Park Service and 4-H, and as much as possible, I seek ways to promote this in academia. One example of this is in teaching undergraduate Biological Anthropology labs and having students work in groups to measure and compare cranial skeletal features of various primates using replica skulls. Another example is using a simulated archaeological test pit created out of carboard with features that student teams measure and describe in classroom field notes. In the undergraduate anthropology Ethnography course, students practiced participant observation skills on campus in conducting cultural studies, and another class conducted group interviews at a haunted house.

Examples of how I integrated my teaching philosophy with my younger students (aged <18) include certifying them as Alabama Water Watchers through Auburn University to learn about marine science. For this program, I received grants for purchasing water quality testing kits and after becoming certified, students adopted sites to test, monitor, and report water quality data back to Auburn. When my homeschooled students studied the Roman Empire, I utilized a program called Ancient Coins for Education. Students cleaned coins from the era to learn history based on who and what was depicted on the coins which served as newspapers of the day. When I led a literary study of To Kill a Mockingbird, my classes finished with a field trip to see the book’s performance in Monroeville, AL, home of Harper Lee, the book’s author. For this field trip, I also arranged for several of my students each year to be surprised and picked for the jury in the performance adding to their experience. When I led a literary study on Shakespeare, my students finished the unit with a field trip to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to see one of the plays performed and participated in a workshop with Shakespearian actors. I also mentored students' science fair projects, reviewed student transcripts for college readiness, and organized youth community service projects.

In the classroom, I apply mixed methods in theory and practice while providing a welcoming and supportive environment for student success. These methods include selecting compelling reading, creating visually engaging lectures, promoting lively group discussions and collaborations, and providing students with hands-on activities. I use interactive teaching tools and new innovations such as Mentimeter or Jeopardy Labs to hold students’ interest and encourage active student participation. I share real world examples and case studies to make information relevant to students and design my courses with three primary purposes:    1) to motivate students to learn the material, 2) to create a positive learning environment, and 3) to create a foundation that encourages students to want to learn more and to integrate concepts in their own lives as critical thinkers and problem solvers.

Complimentary to teaching, I am also experienced in grant writing and grant management, community engagement, research design and implementation, and a variety of computer applications: Canvas and Blackboard for online teaching, Microsoft Office applications and Teams, Adobe, Canva and graphic design, PastPerfect museum software and collections management applications, web design, SPSS, Qualtrics surveys, NViVo, Otter.ai, Chat GPT, and others.