I believe that the students’ social and mental wellbeing has a direct impact on how well they learn. A sense of community in the class creates a supportive learning environment that fosters motivation and allows for deeper engagement with course materials. I like to use humour, enthusiasm for the material, and empathy to to build trust, respect, and create a friendly dialogue between student and teacher.
Teaching environmental science provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to scientific inquiry. I want students to engage with the material, whether that be designing and implementing field-based projects or using open-access databases to form data-driven conclusions. These hands-on learning strategies work to deepen their engagement and connect different disciplines within environmental science.
It is becoming increasingly important to communicate the results and impact of good science, especially for informing science-based policy decisions. I believe communication is an important skill for students to develop, allowing them to efficiently demonstrate their scientific literacy of environmental science. Communication between teacher and student is also a key component that allows me to continually develop my teaching to focus on student success.