Philosophy of Teaching

Philosophy of Teaching
Lisa Zinn

My philosophy of teaching is that the learner is the focus, and in the classroom I am the facilitator of student learning. I engage my students in the process of active learning, and push them beyond the misconception that science is simply arduous content memorization. Students in my classroom learn not just the facts that make up the foundation of science, but also how to combine these facts into broader concepts that they can apply to their own lives, where they answer their own questions from within a scientific framework. Teaching science through inquiry allows students to use their natural curiosity to solve problems, while simultaneously learning content they need to master to form their own ideas about the natural world. My role in this process is to provide expertise and assistance as the students work through the process of observing, asking questions, designing experiments, collecting data, and communicating their results with others.

Because each student learns best through a combination of different learning styles, I evaluate and teach students using a range of methods. I believe that learning is best when it is active and engaging, and structure my classroom to allow for a large number of hands-on and interactive learning experiences. I believe in empowering students and giving them a voice, so my classes focus on interactive dialogue. At the same time, I am mindful of learners who are most receptive to discourse, reading, and writing as well. In addition to activities, lab work, and experiments that naturally lead to hands-on learning, I also design my lectures to engage students in dialogue, and the material is integrated into this process. Teaching is a process of constantly adapting to the needs of the students. I employ several methods of formative assessment during a course to ensure that I can address misconceptions early, and find different ways to meet my course objectives if student learning is hindered in any way.

I strive to foster a love of learning in my students so they will become life-long learners. I believe the best way to do this is to let students see my interest and passion for both science and learning, as this gives them freedom to fully engage and get excited about learning. Students who engage emotionally with the content are far more likely to take responsibility for their own learning and to retain learning long-term. Modeling excitement and curiosity in learning is critical to fostering those characteristics in students.

Considering the rate at which scientific knowledge increases everyday, teaching students the skills to investigate our growing body of scientific information on their own is crucial to the development of a scientifically literate society. As a teacher, it is my goal to equip students with critical thinking and problem solving skills that will foster a process of life-long learning, and contribute to a society where science can be called upon by all citizens to question and evaluate the natural world around them.