The first time I stepped foot in a classroom as the instructor rather than the student was intimidating and, quite frankly, utterly frightening. I was only a few years older than the students staring blankly at me, waiting for me to teach them about the scientific method and characteristics of living matter. While I'm sure I bumbled through the lecture, two amazing things occurred to me afterwards: (1) I now had a deeper understanding of these two topics, and (2) I felt truly energized and excited to help students learn and grow as scientists.

 

Since that first teaching assignment, I have had the opportunity to teach many different courses, from Introductory Biology to Aquatic Entomology. I have also been involved in informal environmental education. I've led natural history hikes, developed summer camp activities for school-aged children, and engaged with the community via educational outreach with the UGA Entomology Department.

 

This combination of formal and informal education has greatly influenced my philosophy of teaching. I incorporate active learning activities frequently in my classes in an effort to engage students and reinforce concepts on multiple levels of learning. These activities are imperative in helping students learn how to critically think and analyze complex material. 

 

Ultimately, I believe the goal of teaching is for students to retain what they have learned and apply it to other classes, their careers, and their lives outside of academia.  Seeing students succeed in college and their careers is the reward for achieving that goal.