Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." --William Butler Yeats
During my second year of undergraduate studies at the Pennsylvania State University, I was fortunate to have one special professor who lit a fire within me. This professor's class focused on exercise prescription and case studies. I quickly discovered I looked forward to this class each day, excited to see what this charismatic teacher was going to share with us. She was engaging, enthusiastic, confident, and thoughtful in how she taught. I became an inspired student who was eager to learn from her. I remember with clarity sitting in her class thinking “I want to be a passionate teacher like her someday”. She lit the fire within me to learn and unknowingly fueled an aspiration to teach.
While at the Pennsylvania State University for graduate school I had experience teaching small classes of 15 students (Environmental Physiology), medium sized classes of 80 students (Exercise Physiology) and very large classes of over 300 students (Introduction to Kinesiology). At Shenandoah University I have been fortunate to teach small classes of approximately 20 students. I continually seek to further my own teaching skills via continuing education as shown by my completion of an online evidence-based undergraduate STEM teaching course, a Distance/Hybrid Education Certification and Adult Mental Health First Aid USA.
My teaching theory is best articulated by Benjamin Franklin’s quote: "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." I am not the teacher who stands in front of a classroom and lectures students. My goal is to engage and energize students, to model an enthusiastic lifelong desire to learn from one another. My students have responded to my passion regarding lecture topics and I plan to build on this foundation to engage future students. I have taken special care to development assignments and assessments that inspire and importantly allows students to develop their professional toolbox while building confidence. Involved students fan the flames within the classroom.
I strive to reach all students, the auditory learners, the visual learners and the hands-on learners. In small classes, I call on students to keep an open dialogue throughout the class as well as hands on activities. While in large classes, I use available technology to involve my students in problem solving, discussion and non-risk assessment during class.
Following each class, I provide an opportunity for students to propose concepts they found difficult to understand so I know to create a better method of sharing these topics in the future and, when value added, to provide additional resources for my students via technology.
In my classes, students will learn appropriate anatomy and physiology for a given subject. They will read and assess classic primary literature that has shaped our field of study as well as new research findings in the field of kinesiology. As potential future scientists, I will develop within my students a desire to research and cultivate their comprehension and assessment of the literature. Students will also be exposed to measurement and assessment techniques for physiological variables, ideally including hands on lab experiences with exposure to as much lab equipment as possible.
My experience at an R1 institute has afforded me ample training in conducting research as well as advising undergraduate students in research projects.
Finally, I hope to fuel many fires that burn continuously within my students. I hope my students look forward to coming to class as I did and are inspired to learn and pursue a career that spikes their interest in a field in which they are passionate to flame their own fires.
During my second year of undergraduate studies at the Pennsylvania State University, I was fortunate to have one special professor who lit a fire within me. This professor's class focused on exercise prescription and case studies. I quickly discovered I looked forward to this class each day, excited to see what this charismatic teacher was going to share with us. She was engaging, enthusiastic, confident, and thoughtful in how she taught. I became an inspired student who was eager to learn from her. I remember with clarity sitting in her class thinking “I want to be a passionate teacher like her someday”. She lit the fire within me to learn and unknowingly fueled an aspiration to teach.
While at the Pennsylvania State University for graduate school I had experience teaching small classes of 15 students (Environmental Physiology), medium sized classes of 80 students (Exercise Physiology) and very large classes of over 300 students (Introduction to Kinesiology). At Shenandoah University I have been fortunate to teach small classes of approximately 20 students. I continually seek to further my own teaching skills via continuing education as shown by my completion of an online evidence-based undergraduate STEM teaching course, a Distance/Hybrid Education Certification and Adult Mental Health First Aid USA.
My teaching theory is best articulated by Benjamin Franklin’s quote: "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." I am not the teacher who stands in front of a classroom and lectures students. My goal is to engage and energize students, to model an enthusiastic lifelong desire to learn from one another. My students have responded to my passion regarding lecture topics and I plan to build on this foundation to engage future students. I have taken special care to development assignments and assessments that inspire and importantly allows students to develop their professional toolbox while building confidence. Involved students fan the flames within the classroom.
I strive to reach all students, the auditory learners, the visual learners and the hands-on learners. In small classes, I call on students to keep an open dialogue throughout the class as well as hands on activities. While in large classes, I use available technology to involve my students in problem solving, discussion and non-risk assessment during class.
Following each class, I provide an opportunity for students to propose concepts they found difficult to understand so I know to create a better method of sharing these topics in the future and, when value added, to provide additional resources for my students via technology.
In my classes, students will learn appropriate anatomy and physiology for a given subject. They will read and assess classic primary literature that has shaped our field of study as well as new research findings in the field of kinesiology. As potential future scientists, I will develop within my students a desire to research and cultivate their comprehension and assessment of the literature. Students will also be exposed to measurement and assessment techniques for physiological variables, ideally including hands on lab experiences with exposure to as much lab equipment as possible.
My experience at an R1 institute has afforded me ample training in conducting research as well as advising undergraduate students in research projects.
Finally, I hope to fuel many fires that burn continuously within my students. I hope my students look forward to coming to class as I did and are inspired to learn and pursue a career that spikes their interest in a field in which they are passionate to flame their own fires.
To be an effective educator... | |
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