Teaching Philosophy
Briefly, my teaching philosophy involves engaging students on multiple levels to facilitate learning and develop skills critical to success in the classroom and beyond.
Classes
Field Techniques in Integrated Pest Management PMA 4570 / 6228 Laboratory
I taught the laboratory portion of this class, which is taught by my major Professor Dr. Oscar Liburd, in the summers of 2008 and 2009.
- Laboratory 1 presentation and handout
- Laboratory 2 presentation and handout
- Laboratory 3 presentation and handout
- Laboratory 4 presentation, handout, and supplimentary handout
- Laboratory 5 presentation and handout
Other Teaching Experiences
Entomology and Nematology Departmental Outreach
The University of FLorida Entomology and Nematology Department has a wonderful outreach program. There are three broad categories of outreach events. The first involves setting up a booth at a local fair, state fair, etc. with insect collections, live insects, and information and answering the questions of people who come to the booth. In the second type of outreach, the materials are taken to a local grade school and presented to the students along with a brief power point presentation. The third type of outreach is similar to this, but the students come to the department and are given a tour after being shown a power point presentation and the other materials. I have helped with and conducted a number of outreach events.
Bible Studies and Prayer Counseling
I have led several Bible studies. This taught me valuable skills in leading discussion groups. Here are a few of the things I learned:
- Both encouragement and correction must be gentle.
- Silence can be a very useful tool.
- Giving the more introverted group members a chance to speak while keeping the more extroverted members from totally dominating the conversation is a delicate art.
I am a trained prayer counselor. This is not teaching per se, but I have learned some valuable skills that will aid in my interactions with students. Helping others through healing experiances as well as going through my own has given me a deep understanding of human nature. Also, God has gifted me with both compassion and discernment. This will allow me to relate to and empathize with students without being taken advantage of.