My teaching style is informed by my experiences with excellent professors who embody attributes that I think the very best teachers should possess. A professor should be clear and organized: by setting transparent goals for students, I can empower students to meet my learning objectives. They should also be compassionate and understanding: by fostering a safe, supportive environment in which students feel comfortable speaking their minds and having thoughtful conversations, I can ensure that all students succeed, regardless of their prior experiences. A professor should also be passionate and engaging: by actively engaging students with class material, I can cultivate a deeper understanding of fundamental concepts. Finally, they should be thoughtful and forward-thinking: by teaching students how to think critically about research and theories, I can give them the tools they need to thrive in any setting, even beyond the classroom environment.

Setting transparent goals gives students clear objectives and a confident understanding of how to meet course aims. I discuss learning objectives before I start every class and reiterate those objectives during the lecture to help students link related concepts to the greater course goals. I provide poll questions throughout my lectures to assess students’ understanding of the material and provide opportunities to review concepts. I also provide thorough rubrics with example responses for all assignments. By clearly and regularly communicating expectations with students, I can ensure they meet the learning objectives.

Fostering a safe, supportive environment empowers students to fully engage with the material and share their ideas with the class. When students feel comfortable discussing their questions and ideas, they can truly engage with the material. I make sure that students know our goal is to embody the Principles of Community, fostering a safe, inclusive learning environment where we celebrate and respect diverse perspectives. I reassure students that they all have the ability to succeed. I also highlight stories of inspirational researchers from underrepresented groups so students can see their own identities reflected in the material they are learning. I focus on the achievements of the researcher while also discussing their background, axes of identity and underrepresentation, and societal relevance.

Actively engaging students with course material allows students to understand the concepts more deeply and link ideas to their own experiences. I believe learning best occurs when classrooms foster dynamic interactions. By working in groups, students learn how to articulate their ideas to others. Students also have the opportunity to both learn from and teach each other, which leads to better retention of the material. I lead classroom demonstrations to connect the course material to real-world applications. For example, I have students complete the test that social psychologists use to measure unconscious biases in humans, the Implicit Association Test, so students learn exactly how this phenomenon is studied. This demonstration also allows students to connect what they are learning in class to their own thoughts and experiences, which is proven to increase retention of information learned.

Teaching students how to think critically gives them transferable skills that will help them succeed in any field. My purpose as a teacher is to develop students’ analytical thinking skills and foster the ability to apply course content to future endeavors. In Intro to Biological Psychology, I have students choose a research method to test a question they have and discuss the benefits and limitations of that method compared to other methods. I also teach them how to develop and test their own hypotheses. Students can apply these critical thinking skills to careers beyond the sciences, as most jobs require some form of independent thinking and building on prior knowledge to improve products and procedures. I hope I can inspire students to pursue their passions the same way that my teachers inspired me in my academic career.