COURSES TAUGHT AND TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching Positions

Instructor, Supervised Research, Fall 2006.
Supervised and organized graduate and undergraduate research assistants. Responsible for scheduling, lecturing, advising, and grading.

Instructor, Research Methods (two sections), Spring 2006.
Co-taught two sections of research methods with another graduate student. Responsible for every aspect of the class, including lecturing, test construction, project construction, and grading.

Instructor, Readings in Psychology, Fall 2005.
Designed and implemented an undergraduate course. Responsible for every aspect of the class, including lecturing, course work, and grading.

Teaching Assistant Positions

Teaching Assistant, Research Methods, Fall 2006.
Designed two research projects, developed a lecture and lead class discussion, and assisted students with questions, assignments, and with the completion of the research projects.

Teaching Assistant, Psychology of Gender, Fall 2005.
Designed and graded quizzes and exams, developed guest lectures and lead class discussions, and assisted students with questions and assignments.

Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Spring 2005.
Designed and graded quizzes and exams, developed a guest lecture and lead class discussion, and assisted students with questions and assignments.

Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Psychology, Fall 2003.
Designed and graded quizzes and exams, developed a guest lecture and class discussion, and assisted students with questions and assignments.

Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Fall 2002.
Designed and graded exams and assisted students with questions and assignments.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

My formal philosophy regarding teaching is captured in the following three main points:

“Aim high.” This is a philosophy that I posses and will continue to have as I begin my professional career. In conducting research and taking classes, I have come across many psychological theories that apply to teaching and diversity, and I plan to apply such theories to my teaching. The most influential, perhaps, is research demonstrating that students’ performances can be affected by teachers’ expectations. My personal teaching style centers on the notion that all students have the ability to be successful. In my teaching experience, I tell students that they will be successful in my classes and that I expect this of them. I also encourage every student to participate because through interactive participation, students realize that they also have the ability teach themselves and others.

“Teaching is another form of learning.” To teach, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is to cause to know something, to guide studies, and impart knowledge. While this definition of teaching is obvious to most, teaching is also another form of learning and gaining knowledge. I have learned that I too learn from my students – from learning about new research ideas to learning about the do’s and don’ts of power point lectures. Preparing my lectures forces me to refresh and remind myself of broad conceptual frameworks that link multiple areas of research, theories, and concepts. Students too are great at teaching others, letting them what they read and what new research is being done. Thus, I strive to create an environment through assignments and discussions in which students can share their knowledge.

“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” This Chinese proverb alludes to the fact that learning doesn’t end at the end of the semester. I believe that it is important to teach students to apply what they learn in real world situations and to think about how the theories and concepts they learned in class applies to the workplace. I do this by using meaningful and personal examples and demonstrations to illustrate concepts and bridge the gap between the course material and real business situations. Learning doesn’t end when the students leave the class. My goal is that students will leave the class and encounter situations in the workplace that reminds them of concepts and theories, and hopefully use this knowledge as a guide.