Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is constantly being refined as I gain more classroom experience, but I operate on a few major principles. The first principle is that instructors should take charge of their own pedagogical development. I do this in a number of ways. First, I regularly consult research on teaching and learning, and I base my instruction on the empirical data available to me. For example, in my PSYC 1101 and 3510 courses, students complete reading quizzes before coming to class. I explain these assignments to students on the first day of class along with published data demonstrating reading before class positively impacts grades in a course. Second, I attend and present at teaching conferences, such as the National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology and the Teaching Institute for the Society for Research in Child Development. My own presentations are listed on my CV, but one of my main goals in attending these conferences is to learn about the best practices of other seasoned instructors. Third, I participate in any training opportunities I can. For example, I attend workshops on teaching with technology presented by the Center for Instructional Innovation (CII) at Georgia State. I attended the Faculty Luncheon Series offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning at GSU, during which faculty from all over the GSU come together to discuss topics, such as online teaching, diversity in the classroom, and teaching large classes. These luncheons were invaluable to me as I benefitted from the varied faculty perspectives, ideas on how to broach particular topics, and how to handle concerns about the classroom.

Another principle central to my philosophy of teaching is a commitment to my students. By creating a non-intimidating and non-competitive classroom, students are ableto share their ideas and to get involved in discussions and activities. This environment encourages students to feel a sense of empowerment and to take control of their own learning. It is my experience that facilitated class discussion and active learning exercises allow the students’ to integrate their own ideas and background knowledge with the presented lecture material. Making these connections is important for knowledge retention. Crucial to this initiative is the incorporation of hands-on activities, group work, and structured class discussion so that students get involved in the class and gain a multi-dimensional perspective of the topic at hand. Some active learning exercises I have used in class are think-pair-share activities, structured theoretical debates, in-class experiments, and problem-based learning activities. In addition, students are given as much support as possible. My class expectations are clearly stated from the first day of class, and students have opportunities to get their questions and concerns addressed. I make myself accessible outside of class and commit to responding to emails within one business day. Moreover, I discovered the advantages of using uLearn to allow students access to supplementary materials, multi-media, assessments, and assignments to be viewed and completed at home. These assignments (and in-class activities), such as participation in online experiments, watching video clips, and coding real data, are designed to concretely demonstrate the concepts presented in class and to provide fodder for in-class discussion.

The last principle is to have fun in the classroom. Students are more engaged when a topic is presented with enthusiasm (and sometimes a little humor). Passion for the material is contagious and students show more interest in a subject if you display your own enjoyment of teaching and learning. This idea is reflected in the written comments from my student evaluations when students comment on how my classes are fun and entertaining and that I clearly love psychology.

Course Development Goals
My primary course development goal is to continue to move toward active engagement with the material and away from traditional classroom lecture. The driving force behind this transition is evidence for “desirable difficulties” presented by Bjork and Bjork (2011). The evidence for desirable difficulties demonstrates that having students work through problems on their own is better for their understanding and retention of material than being told the information. This requires assessment of their understanding BEFORE the topic is addressed in class and assessment again after practicing in class and getting their questions answered. Admittedly, this approach is not favored by students, and some of them do report feeling as though they are teaching themselves; however, I make sure to explain the rationale and evidence behind the technique, and  they often see the benefits in the end. I have been gradually moving in this direction for some time. For example, you will see from my course materials for PSYC 3530 and PSYC 4800 that I eliminated most “lecture” in those courses and use that time to practice statistics, research design, and writing. Moreover, my face-to-face section of PSYC 1101 is now a flipped classroom, utilizing lecture podcasts outside of class and hands-on activities in class.

Service Goals
I am actively involved in service to the department, college, and my profession. I particularly enjoy my involvement in the Undergraduate Program Committee and hope to continue contributing to the development of the Psychology major. Fostering a connection between students and faculty is key to promotion of our major. I accomplish this through my work with undergraduate practicum and study abroad. In both cases, you get more one-on-one contact with students and can provide personalized mentorship. Additionally, mentorship and advisement of other instructors is a goal of mine. To this end, I plan to continue writing the teaching blog I started for the department (www.psycteaching.com), assisting new and seasoned instructors, and networking with faculty at other universities and colleges. In addition, I would like to create a monthly brown bag or coffee meeting where instructors can meet to discuss issues around teaching and collaborate.

Courses/Areas I am Qualified to Teach

• PSYC 1101: Introduction to General Psychology
• PSYC 2030: Careers in Psychology
• PSYC 2103: Introduction to Human Development
• PSYC 3510: Introduction to Research Design and Analysis
• PSYC 3530: Advanced Research Design and Analysis (CTW)
• PSYC 4040: Developmental Psychology
• PSYC 4100: Cognitive Psychology
• PSYC 4140: Introduction to Psychophysiology
• PSYC 4300: Adolescent Psychology
• PSYC 4400: Psychology of the Atypical Child
• PSYC 4800 (CTW): Forensic Psychology, Parenting
• Study Abroad: Psychology of Terrorism, Cross-cultural Development