Heidi K.

Experience Summary

In my career I have taught different levels of biology in a variety of settings to students ranging from preschoolers to adults. What started out as a college summer job teaching children at a St. Louis Zoo camp, grew into a career of being a conservation education coordinator at the Kansas City Zoo. One of my many responsibilities at that job was teaching teens and adults about our zoo animals and training them how to handle them. Besides developing and teaching classes on animals and ecology, I also mentored teens in the K.C. Zoo Explorer Post who were interested in zoo keeping as a career. While attending graduate school at KU, I taught laboratory sections of Introduction to Biology, Human Physiology, and Mammalian Physiology. In addition to teaching undergraduate courses, I also trained undergraduates individually to perform experiments in research labs. As adjunct faculty at Penn Valley Community College I taught Introduction to Cell Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and General Biology. Most recently, I taught biology at Rockhurst High School for two years and, while there, was a tutor at the after school Student Success Center. Throughout my time teaching, my classes have been comprised of non-traditional students, international students, students of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, students with disabilities, and student-athletes. Another type of experience that has been helpful to my teaching is the sharing of research. While pursuing a graduate degree, I attended several scientific meetings and presented my research. Also, I co-authored a publication of scientific research on which I was a research assistant. My background working as a biologist in various fields has been an invaluable asset to my teaching of the subject, as well. Having worked as a researcher at the Human Genome Project and at the University of Kansas in labs studying animal behavior, genetics, and evolution, I have firsthand knowledge of real world applications of biology that make learning the subject relevant to people.

Teaching Style

The defining characteristic of my teaching method, whether in a classroom or tutoring individual students, is fostering a respectful and comfortable learning environment. I believe that the foundation for this environment is created by establishing small, personal connections with the student. I try to take every opportunity to get to know a student’s’ personal interests. This allows me to choose meaningful examples and metaphors that students will be more likely to understand and remember. It also makes study sessions engaging and conversational which always benefits learning, in my experience. Organizational skills are essential to learning and I always address this component at the start of working with a student. Seeing how a student organizes his or her class materials, such as notes, handouts, and graded assignments, helps me identify problems that can be resolved with small changes. I use this opportunity to review note-taking techniques and other study skills that students probably are already aware of but need a little direction to implement. I like to begin study sessions by creating an outline with the student showing what work needs to be done. At the end of the session, we recapitulate the work we did, set goals for the future, and identify challenging issues. Taking a little bit of time to prepare and plan makes a big impact on successful learning. Biology is full of difficult vocabulary, intricate diagrams, and complex concepts, and so I use a variety of tools to teach it. It may be as simple as having students compare and contrast things by filling in Venn diagrams or side-by-side lists. But I also use modeling to teach concepts like mitosis and meiosis, where students can physically manipulate chromosomes (a strand of beads) to learn the different stages. I’ve used computer simulation games to demonstrate concepts like natural selection and evolution. With how easy it is to obtain videos and photos online, I always try to present a topic using some form of media. Over the years, though, I have created my own animations so that I can break down processes into steps and present opportunities for the students to determine the next step in an animation.

All Subjects I Tutor

• Anatomy
• Biology

• Genetics
• Life Science

• Marine Biology
• Physiology