Experience Summary
After earning my BS in zoology with a minor in psychology, I worked as an educator at a local zoo working with elementary aged children. This was my first experience teaching and I soon realized how fun and rewarding educating could be. I continued my education to achieve my MS in behavior, ecology, and evolution. While working towards my MS degree I taught labs for 2 years for both majors and non-majors ranging from biological concepts to taxonomy, organismal biology, and general biology. My responsibilities teaching labs was as a lecturer and mentor, helping students with problems and assignments outside lab as well as with the lab task at hand.
Teaching Style
I find that most people tend to learn best when they can relate a concept to the real world. As a result, I tend to use examples, analogies, and diagrams often when I am explaining a process or concept. I also try to incorporate hands on learning as much as possible. Everyone has a different learning style, so through interacting with my students I try to understand how they best understand the information I provide to them. I am a firm believer in nurturing curiosity and trying to provide a reason or purpose for every subject and idea, even if it is not something the student finds particularly interesting. I have found that if I can provide a purpose then the student can better conceptualize and remember the idea being taught.