My interest in teaching comes from my own love of learning. I believe that a large part of my job as a teacher and mentor is to transmit this love of learning and to bring out the best in my students, challenging them to exceed their own expectations in the classroom. I want to teach mathematics and science because of the important role that mathematics and statistics play in our understanding of science and because math is the language in which virtually all media presents information. It...
My interest in teaching comes from my own love of learning. I believe that a large part of my job as a teacher and mentor is to transmit this love of learning and to bring out the best in my students, challenging them to exceed their own expectations in the classroom. I want to teach mathematics and science because of the important role that mathematics and statistics play in our understanding of science and because math is the language in which virtually all media presents information. It also stems from a belief that environmental issues are intricately connected with technology and a sense of responsibility to educate a citizenry that is "literate" in environment sciences.
In considering how one goes about sharing one's love of learning, it is important to consider that learning strategies differ widely and that teaching strategies are not always easily matched with students' needs. In addition, students bring widely varying knowledge bases to the table in each course, so each course is different according to the background and learning preferences of that particular class. A further complication is that students also bring different levels of maturity, interest and motivation.
My goals in teaching are not just to promote learning of the subject matter. I also try to help the students learn to think logically, learn problem-solving methods and techniques, and improve writing skills (writing clearly and concisely, explaining systematic processes, providing valid reasons for logical arguments). In addition, I try to help students see the course material in a holistic context by requiring them to synthesize the various concepts of the course by applying them together.