Aaron Anderson
PhD student in Earth Science
Earth Science aims to understand the processes that control our dynamically changing planet, across a variety of timescales.
In the lab
Teaching in Earth Science labs allows for a lot of one-on-one discussion and hands on examples. This type of interaction with the students is something that I excel at, as I like to try to understand the perspective of the student so that I can tailor an explanation that fits their own view of the topic. My favorite style of teaching is more of a personal model or facilitator type. I give a brief lecture at the start of my classes outlining the concepts and the major questions that the lab will attempt to answer, then open the lab up for groups to work on the questions while I roam around answering questions or interjecting into student discussions.
In lecture
Extending to larger classrooms is something that I think I struggle with, given my penchant for engaging with smaller groups; this is likely due to my somewhat low level of extraversion. I don’t necessarily shy away from interaction, but I fear putting myself out there to be judged without getting to engage with the students more personally. As I move to being an instructor of record for the first time, I feel that my best approach is one that drives engagement amongst the students and interaction between myself and the class. This way even though the interaction isn’t as personal as in the lab environment, I can keep the lines of communication open. Without this feedback I think I would struggle to know if my explanations are coming through clearly or need a different angle of attack. Earth Science is a highly conceptual field—an answer is always simplified to facilitate understanding, but I want to maintain the sense that there is always something more to be explored.
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