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...teach a person to fish, and they eat for a lifetime.

Welcome to my teaching portfolio!

Please use the tabs in the dropdown menu above (top right) to navigate through my Teaching Portfolio.

 

A quick story: I sat gripping the steering wheel of my high school’s Driver Education Chevy Cavalier as some perspiration formed under the beginnings of my sparse teenage mustache. I glanced over at my Driver Education instructor Mr. Healy, who seemed to have noticed the faint scent of terror in the vehicle (a skill he presumably mastered during his other job as a high-school gym teacher). With a twinkle in his eye and a slight grin on his face, Mr. Healy told me these wise words: “Don’t let the fear…interfere.”. We then embarked on my first auto tour together, my foot on the gas and his hovering over the passenger-side emergency brake.

 

A brief introduction: Many years later, I found myself remembering Mr. Healy’s advice when I was given the opportunity to teach my first entomology course as a fellow in the Preparing the Professoriate (PTP) program at NC State University. PTP is an intensive, year-long fellowship program supporting competitively selected PhD and post-doctoral students as they teach college classes. During my time as a PTP fellow, I was lucky enough to be mentored by Dr. Clyde Sorenson. Clyde has over 25 years of experience teaching entomology to undergraduate students and his tutelage was invaluable. I observed Clyde’s course – “Insects and People” – in both the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. In spring 2015, I was the Instructor of Record of a modified version of “Insects and People” taught to 15 college freshman.

 

Statement of Purpose: This teaching portfolio chronicles my development as an educator while participating in PTP and teaching “Insects and People” at NC State. I also shared some of my past experiences teaching courses in biology and ecology at other institutions. This teaching portfolio also illustrates specific applications of my current teaching style and approach..

Some ENT 201 students spreading the word about entomophagy

during a class outreach event on NC State's Brickyard.

"I liked how the course changed my views on insects. I'm a lot more open to them now." - ENT 201 student; Spring 2015

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