Teaching Statement – Jennifer D Small I Believe That

teaching statement – jennifer d. small i believe that at the core of all successful teaching in atmospheric science is the ability to conve

Teaching Statement – Jennifer D. Small
I believe that at the core of all successful teaching in atmospheric
science is the ability to convey the excitement of the subject to
students in the classroom and in the field instilling in students a
desire to learn more about the natural world. This requires an
emphasis on the Earth and atmosphere as a dynamic system about which
we still have an incredible amount to learn. In this context, basic
skills and principles in atmospheric science are taught as tools with
which to scientifically address problems and to critically assess the
existing state of knowledge, rather than as part of a final set of
facts that students are merely expected to memorize for a grade. I
think this approach is essential both for attracting majors to the
science, and for developing in non-majors a greater awareness and
appreciation of the natural environment.
I feel that the most effective teachers engage students by asking
questions in the classroom, incorporating innovative labs and
challenging problem-solving projects, encouraging peer to peer
interaction though group work and study, and including a wealth of
real-world examples of the principles being discussed. I recognize the
central importance of the teacher’s approachability and accessibility
that are crucial to developing an environment that emphasizes
discussion about science, and becomes a mutual learning experience
rather than a distant monologue. This requires an important time
commitment outside the classroom to meet and interact both with
students who need extra assistance, and with exceptional students who
could benefit greatly from potential research opportunities. My
perspective on teaching has been strongly influenced by my
interactions with outstanding teachers at both the small undergraduate
meteorology and environmental science departments at Cook College of
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey where I obtained my B.S.
degrees, and in the large and diverse graduate research program in
earth and planetary sciences at the University of California Santa
Cruz (UCSC) where I am finishing my PhD.
I am looking forward to implementing successful educational strategies
in the classroom and the field that I have observed and studied, as
well as developing new approaches of my own. During teaching
assistantships in two earth sciences courses, “Weather and Climate”
and “Concepts of Environmentalism”, I lectured and conducted labs and
was honored with the outstanding earth science teaching assistant
award for both courses. I have also been fortunate to participate in
an education research program through the UCSC Center for Informal
Learning and Schools (CILS) as a Graduate Science Fellow. Through this
program I have studied educational theory related to science education
and education at the university level, as well as conducted my own
science/education research project. I feel that this experience has
provided me with exceptional tools and resources for teaching and
developing science courses in a variety of situations including large
lectures for non-majors, small upper-level major classes, and labs or
field courses. For my final CILS education research project I am
probing the benefits of combining science learning with writing
through the analysis of student work in a writing course I designed
and taught based on scientific content and questions. As a result of
my experience as a teacher, student, and researcher, I feel qualified
to teach courses that range from introductory to advanced targeted at
students from undergraduate through graduate levels. These classes
include introductory meteorology and climatology, introductory cloud
physics, introductory atmospheric thermodynamics, introductory
environmental science, advanced cloud physics, meteorological
instrumentation, and global climate change.
Through participation in outreach activities I have had the
opportunity to act as a role model to young women and young women in
minority groups. I have participated in the annual Expanding Your
Horizons conference held at UCSC for four years and the Sally Ride
Science Festivals for two years and have developed and presented a
variety of hands on workshops. These experiences have taught me how to
interact with and inspire young women to enjoy and pursue careers in
science. I feel that such programs and other community outreach
projects I have participated in are extremely influential in
attracting students, especially young women, to atmospheric science,
as similar programs during my secondary school and undergraduate years
had an important impact on my decision to become an atmospheric
scientist.
In summary, I am looking forward to the challenges of teaching and
advising students. Based on my recent experiences with undergraduates
in the classroom and education outreach activities, I feel that I can
have a significant impact on increasing numbers of young women who are
considering careers in atmospheric science, but still have relatively
few female mentors and role models. In the past, I have benefited
tremendously from dedicated teachers who have nurtured my interest in
science. In the future, I intend to apply what I have learned and
effectively use classes, field trips, and research to develop in
students and appreciation for science and the atmosphere in which we
live.