To develop a philosophy of teaching is to focus on my role as an educator and define what is important about this role.  To define my philosophy involves three principle activities:
                1. To continually strive to develop a broad array of teaching skills and
                    adjust them to meet the needs of all of my students.

                2. To foster student mastery of course material while at the same time
                    helping them develop broader, more important skills such as
                    communication and critical thinking.

                3. To develop the philosophical basis for specific teaching strategies I
                    will use.

    To some extent, I have been able to develop my own teaching skills based on my
experiences as a student. I remember the instructors I liked as an undergraduate and the things about the classes they taught which created positive learning experiences. Some types of lecturing styles made material interesting, while other styles lulled the class into a coma. I saw benefits to alternatives of lecture, such as small group discussions, labs, and question-and-answer sessions. Some types of exams really tested what I had learned; others simply seemed to test how fast I could write or how adept I was at spotting trickery. Some assignments reinforced my understanding of material; others seemed of little value. From all of these things, I learned what makes for a positive, beneficial learning experience, and I strive to incorporate these things into the development of my own teaching style.

    The face of the student body is continually changing, and I must adapt my teaching style to accommodate the ways my students learn. As more female and members of minority groups enter science, I must incorporate role models for them. In addition, I must continue to become aware of the impact of cultural differences on learning styles.

    Assessment of student performance is another key aspect of teaching, and it is absolutely essential to employ methods of assessment that are honest and fair. Inflated grades do not reflect achievement, nor does grading on a curve. A straight scale, published in the course syllabus and reflecting appropriate expectations, allows students to gauge their performance at any time during the semester, and emphasizes that a student's achievement is her own. Tell them what you are going to teach them, teach them what you told them, and then test them on what you taught them.

    A key aspect of any educator's professional development involves challenging oneself.  With this in mind, I think a major part of my role as a teacher is to truly challenge my students to reach for high standards and help them rise to the level of that challenge. Fostering the mastery of the course material and related skills is important. However, of equal or greater importance is the development of more broadly applicable skills such as communication and critical thinking. It really does not matter how much knowledge a student possesses if she cannot communicate her ideas effectively. The same is true if she cannot think critically about what she knows and apply that knowledge to new situations. I challenge myself to develop both of these skills in every student.  Years after a student leaves my class, she or he may not be able to recite Mendel's laws or write the chemical equation for the breakdown of glucose to yield ATP, but if she or he can research a topic in science, synthesize and evaluate the information, and present it effectively, I would consider us both a tremendous success.

    One way to make sense of how students learn is through constructivism. Constructivism is a word used frequently by science educators. It is used increasingly as a theoretical rationale for research and teaching. This theory of knowledge is used to explain how we know what we know. A constructivist epistemology is useful to teachers if used as a referent; that is, as a way to make sense of what they see, think, and do. The constructivist epistemology asserts that the only tools available to a knower are the senses. It is only through seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting that an individual interacts with the environment. With these messages from the senses the individual builds a picture of the world. Therefore, constructivism asserts that knowledge resides in individuals; that knowledge cannot be transferred intact from the head of a teacher to the heads of students. The student tries to make sense of what is taught by trying to fit it with his/her experience. Using constructivism, I can use problem solving as a learning strategy; where learning is defined as adaptations made to fit the world they experience. Prior knowledge is used to make sense of data perceived by the senses. Students’ prior knowledge of phenomena is an important part of how they come to understand science. Using a constructivist perspective, teaching science becomes more like the scientists do - an active, social process of making sense of experiences.