Certificate for Excellence in Teaching – BYU Psychology Department – 2017

While I am relatively new to teaching, I have used a variety of teaching methods in my various classes, from pure lecture to almost only group work depending on the course, number of students, and material to be covered. Generally, depending on the material and class size, I try to match a particular teaching method to a class based on what I want the students to learn. For example, in large section classes like Introduction to Psychology, students seem to respond best to a teacher who lectures and answers questions, along with active learning assignments. Alternatively, in a class like History of Psychology, which tends to cover a lot of philosophical topics, I engage the class in discussion about the topics to enhance learning and critical thinking. In my research methods class, I use a team-based learning approach, in which students work on applying the material in teams for the majority of the class. Although my methods are variable there are several core values that pervade my teaching.

One of the most important values in my teaching is caring about the students and their learning. I take great pains to make sure the material is understandable, the assignments help promote the students’ learning, and that both meet the course learning objectives. I attempt to make all students feel welcome and to be myself in the classroom. I genuinely care about my students and how they are doing in my class, which includes directly contacting them if I see they are struggling, as many students will not reach out on their own. I want them to learn the material and understand why they should want to learn it.

Additionally, I ask the students to give me feedback about the course via a midcourse evaluation and a final evaluation at the end of the semester. I use the responses from the midcourse evaluation to make any adjustments to the course to improve and enhance the learning of my students. Similarly, I use their feedback from the final evaluation to make changes to future iterations of the course. These evaluations are not about catering to the students’ every whim, but are a way for me to make assignments clearer and the course function better as a whole. Asking for feedback shows the students that I honestly value their input, and that I legitimately care about them and improving my courses.

I try to make my classes engaging. Having very recently been a student myself, I know first-hand how difficult it can be to learn in a dry, sterile environment. There are several approaches I take to make the learning experience engaging for the students. First and foremost, I am enthusiastic about the material and want to engage the students in learning. Another way I try to make class engaging is by using interesting examples and demonstrations. Students have told me that the interesting examples and demonstrations helped them remember the material better. For example, when I teach classical conditioning, I ask for a student volunteer to be squirted in the face with a little squirt gun while I read a list of words. The demonstration is not only a great example of the principles of classical conditioning, but it is also highly memorable and fun for the students.

To engage students, I also integrate “So what?” questions. By this, I mean that I always try to incorporate the reasons why the student should learn or know this material, and what the practical value of learning and coming to class is. I have found that students are much more receptive to the material if they understand why they should put in the effort to learn it. Understanding the “why” facilitates the learning process.

Although I am the one in charge of teaching the material, and my students are in charge of learning, I am very much still a student of the discipline of Psychology. Although I know the material I teach, I am constantly learning new ways of explaining the topics and new, more accessible examples to facilitate my students’ learning. Many students think learning is a destination; once they have their degree they have finished learning. However, learning is a process, and I am open to learning both with and from my students.