Most people view teaching and research as two distinct entities; I do not share this view. Teaching and research have the great potential to complement each other. Even more frequently do people not realize that these two activities are related to academic advising. In my experiences with teaching, I have tried to incorporate both theory and active learning into my classroom. The chance to apply theories to real world problems is an invaluable opportunity that students should have. I also believe in modern innovations, such as the use of a tablet PC and podcasts to aid in the delivery and retention of the lecture material. My dedication the curricular innovation is reinforced by my receipt of Penn State’s Teaching with Technology Certificate in September 2014.

Motivating students is one of the hardest parts of being a teacher. I have found that one of the best ways to motivate students is to consistently engage them. As a student I know that if a lecturer cannot attract my interest, I have trouble caring about the material. In light of this observation, I attempt to engage my students at every opportunity. Small efforts such as trying to learn student’s names and using them in conversation go a long way in encouraging the student to become more involved and accept more responsibility for their academic achievements. While it does not always fit well into an undergraduate course, making the effort to include recent research findings goes a long way to enrich a course and further intrigue students. At all times, however, students must feel ownership for their actions and the impact they have on their personal growth and development. This discovery is one of the most important things I learned during my teaching experiences.

It is important to recognize that our students are undergoing a period of self-authorship. Self-authorship is defined in [1] as “the internal capacity to define one’s beliefs, identify, and social relations.” As explained in the original seminal work [2], self-authorship serves as the basis for the individuals to meet the expectations they will encounter in their lives; typical examples are the expectations they will encounter at home, school and work. During their period of self-authorship, individuals undergo a paradigm shift from accepting other’s beliefs and values to being able to form and maintain their own. As educators, we have a unique opportunity to work with our students as they undergo this internal growth process.

Language matters when working with students. As an example, when I was a graduate teaching assistant, I organized weekly “help sessions.” I observed that many engineering students at Penn State tend to shy away from “recitations,” likely as a result of bad experiences they had in introductory science and mathematics courses. With a simple change in language, I was able to open up a valuable resource for my students. 

Recently, an experiment was conducted in my courses to measure the efficacy of homework and withdrawing the requirement of mandatory homework. In the 2012-2013 academic year, students were given traditional homework assignments and separate online quizzes, in addition to examinations, to measure their learning. The Fall 2012 syllabus for AERSP 309 Astronautics is available as a PDF here: AERSP 309 FA12 Syllabus. The Spring 2013 syllabus for AERSP 304 Dynamics and Control of Aerospace Systems is available as a PDF here: AERSP 304 SP13 Syllabus. In the 2013-2014 academic year, mandatory homework was withdrawn and replaced by practice problem sets offered roughly as weekly as the homework problem sets had been set. Instead of conducting online quizzes, quizzes were given on Fridays in class during the first 10 minutes of lecture. The Fall 2013 syllabus for AERSP 309 is available as a PDF here: AERSP 309 FA13 Syllabus. The Spring 2014 syllabus for AERSP 304 is available as a PDF here: AERSP 304 SP14 Syllabus. An interesting observation from the experiment was that exam scores from the 2013-2014 academic year were relatively consistent with the scores from the 2012-2013 academic year, despite the withholding of graded homework problems. It was recognized that without graded homework, students were not completing computer code practice problems. In Spring 2014, this problem was rectified by added computer-based team projects to the course. 

In an effort to improve my teaching I have tried various techniques in the classroom. I have attempted to use “think-pair-share” activities where students work in pairs or small group to solve a problem during lecture. Additionally, I have used problem solving sessions so that the students and I collectively brainstorm the best way to solve a given problem. Further, I have attempted to use a modified Socratic lecture approach. A true Socratic lecture has proven too difficult for me to satisfactorily implement, so have attempted using a modified version where I steer a discussion, and the students follow up on their fellow student’s responses while I gently nudge the conversation in the direction I want it to go. I firmly believe an incorrect answer should never be criticized; rather, it can be used as a basis for continued discussion and follow-up. Students should without exception feel safe to voice their thoughts and opinions, and this is the cornerstone of my approach to college teaching.

I have experienced a great deal of growth over the past several years. I have become far more comfortable with speaking in front of large groups. In recognition of the importance of teaching, I sought and received in August 2012 the Graduate Teaching Assistant Certificate through Penn State’s Graduate School, which entails several rotations of supervised teaching experience, orientations and a course on teaching students in higher education curriculums. I have found that I very much enjoy working with students. Studies have shown that this is not a unique opinion on the matter, but I am personally quite glad that I take great joy in my work. Further, it is important to note that one should never accept one’s own teaching as satisfactory; I firmly believe that all teachers should work at self-improvement. Many sources of support exist to aid college teachers; at Penn State, these include the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence and the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering. One should strive to take advantage of these resources that are so freely available to educators.

[1]         Baxter Magolda, M.B., “Three Elements of Self-Authorship,” Journal of College Student Development, Vol. 49, No. 4, 2008, pp. 269-284.
[2]         Kegan, R., In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life, Harvard University Press, 1994.