Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Writing this essay has been enjoyable for me because it has sparked a reflection on how
my role as a teacher and mentor has changed over the past 15 years. When I first arrived at
UVM, I probably would have described myself as a researcher first and then as a teacher and
mentor. In those days I was immersed in writing proposals, seeking grant dollars, publishing as
much as possible, and starting new projects with people around the country. While I still do
some of that, I found that what I really love, above all else, is to work closely with students of all
levels and share with them the joy of making new discoveries, not just about geology, but about
their own abilities and interests as well. And for that I am truly grateful. Here, in this essay, I
have tried to give you a feel for my approach to teaching and what it means to me.
One class that illustrates my teaching philosophy and style is Field Geology. I have
designed this course to provide students with an active experience that directly illustrates how
geologists make new discoveries and engage in scientific research, from start to finish. We meet
for 5 hours twice a week and spend most of the time outside observing and developing
hypotheses about geologic phenomena, testing new ideas through careful measurements, and
presenting our findings in written and oral forms. The course includes a mix of geology majors
and minors, environmental science students, and education students, creating a rich medley of
skill sets and backgrounds that can be quite challenging to engage in the classroom.
To meet this challenge I use our class time to complete a series of geological expeditions
that simulate the real thing. On day 1 we are outside learning orienteering and mapping skills
with a geological compass. By the end of the day, students have completed a treasure map on
the Trinity campus where they have to find various features, make observations about them, and
plot their locations on a map. They have fun, get to know one another and, if they get lost, it
doesnt really matter since we are close to home. From there the course ramps up in intensity
and workload. We visit many spectacular places around Vermont that preserve geological
features of varying complexity. Within a few weeks students move from carefully guided
exercises to labs where they have to develop their own approach to solving a problem. Each lab
builds on the last, with the process culminating in a large synthesis that links our observations
together the way professionals do. Along the way we learn software, plot data, compare
observations, and test competing interpretations. Each student presents their work in four
professional style reports and discovers that scientific writing is quite different than other
styles. One report includes an afternoon of oral presentations in the style of a geological
conference.
To give you a feel for how I run my classes, Ive listed below three principles I try to
follow as closely as I can. I read these before each of my classes to remind myself of my goals.
1. Lecture as little as possible. Instead, involve everyone directly in the exploration of new
features and ideas and in the discussions of what their observations might mean.
2. Allow students to take the time to explore, recognize their mistakes, and discover new things
about geology and about their own abilities.
3. Create a supportive, diverse environment for all students, listen as much as possible, and
dont be afraid to ask for help from both students and colleagues.
The older I get the more I think it is difficult for some students to see me as a role
model. I try of course, but Im mindful of the gaps in age and frame of reference. To help
address this concern I recruit teaching assistants, typically an undergraduate and a graduate
student with at least one, and preferably both, being women. These assistants are essential to my
classes. Each is fully engaged and involved in every aspect of the class, including teaching field
techniques. We meet for an hour before and again after class to discuss which students might be
struggling or if we went too fast on some topic. Our class is fluid and often involves us adapting
to student needs by developing new exercises or examples on the fly. This approach works if we
listen carefully and are engaged in who each student is individually and how they are learning.
I also think it is especially important to encourage women to purse Field Geology, an area
traditionally dominated by men. As part of this effort, every year I recruit students, especially
women, to apply for a summer internship with the Vermont Geological Survey, which is co-
sponsored by UVM Geology. These recruits have been successful, and have created a swelling of
inerest in applying to and gaining entry into some of the countrys top graduate schools.