I arrived at Texas A&M with little teaching experience. However, after three years in a department that strongly emphasizes undergraduate education, I believe that teaching has become one of my greatest strengths. I have developed into an effective teacher in both lab-intensive techniques classes and in larger introductory classes. My down-to-earth personality has made me accessible to and well liked by undergraduate and graduate students. Because of my rapport with undergraduates I have been recently asked to serve as faculty liaison to our undergraduate Geography Society.
My teaching philosophy is simple and has been shaped primarily by my experiences in lab-intensive classes where I have had extensive interaction with students. While my teaching philosophy is still maturing, it is based on five guiding principles. First, students learn best through active learning. Second, students learn best through collaborative learning. Third, students learn best if are forced to move beyond rote memorization and apply abstract concepts to concrete projects. Fourth, students learn best if they are forced to work hard. Fifth, students will work hard if the work is enjoyable and you demonstrate that you care about their work.
I feel I have achieved a modicum of success with this approach and have structured my classes according to these five guiding principles. In my classes, typically one-half or more of a student's grade is project based and I encourage students to work together to solve common problems. While students do complain about the length of my labs, I find that most students do appreciate the final results. Success with this approach does, however, require patience and approachability.