Teaching

The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.

~ Plutarch

My goal in teaching is to spark student excitement in the subject matter. Student learning and growth will naturally follow excitement for the topic. To attempt this challenging task, I incorporate current topics into the classroom and conduct tactile/visual demonstrations to make difficult concepts easier to grasp. Teaching biology and marine sciences offers the instructor many opportunities to draw in pressing social and economic issues that may be interesting - even to students not usually attracted to the natural sciences.

Student Centered Learning

In my instruction, I ask many probing questions allowing me to draw students into the lesson. I often direct questions to students in the class who rarely participate voluntarily. Learning and using students’ names, in my experience, has created a sense of involvement and responsibility among my students - enlisting them in a wider community of learners. Students quickly learn that many of the questions I ask during the class are repeated on future evaluations. This increases the investment of all students in the class but also alerts me of potential problems in understanding the material. Student groups are often called upon to present their data and summarize parts of the lesson for the conclusion. Often, I will try to choose students to take the role of instructor by explaining a process or answering a question.

Evaluating Student Understanding

Using appropriate assessment tools, to me, is of key importance for a teacher. I am committed to providing students multiple chances to test their knowledge using web-based practice tests or short exams. It is my goal to give students an opportunity to succeed. I have observed students are most happy with multiple assessments including short answer quizzes, homework assignments, research papers, projects and participation. I believe that student feedback is extremely important throughout the course, not just at the course terminus. Holding office hours gives a chance for one-on-one conversations with students usually having problems in the course. Often their experiences and difficulties reflect those of others who do not utilize office hours. Midterm evaluations are given to the entire class to gather comments from all students, allowing them to offer feedback and benefit from positive change resulting from their input.

The future holds a great deal of promise of new technology and teaching tools, but the fundamental skills of instruction remain a vital part of teaching. These include a sense of respect and fairness towards the student and a commitment to aiding in learning. My goal is to provide the opportunity for all students devoted to learning a chance to succeed academically and expand their knowledge and understanding. 

Matt First's Teaching Portfolio