General Teaching Philosophy
Being both a scientist and a lifelong learner, I bring substantial experience and a passionate commitment to both teaching and mentoring in the field of science. While I underwent formal pedagogical training during my master’s degree at the University of Vermont, my teaching background covers an array of teaching environments and diverse students. This includes taking on the role of the lead educator in various settings such as public and private school classrooms, analytical laboratories, and remote field environments, encompassing both secondary and undergraduate levels.
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At the core of my teaching philosophy is the commitment to providing all students with opportunities and structured support to develop critical thinking skills. This approach involves establishing trusting relationships with students, fostering a welcoming learning environment, and utilizing student-centered and inquiry-based methods. I firmly believe that by encouraging students to view the world through a scientific lens, it empowers them as informed community members and contributes to the development of agency.
In 2016, during my tenure at Middlebury Union High School, I organized and led a trip on Lake Champlain aboard the University of Vermont's Melosira vessel (pictured above) with my AP Environmental Science class. The primary objective was to introduce students to limnology research methods and lake ecology. This hands-on experience served as the capstone project for our unit on water resources.
During an overnight expedition with my AP Environmental Science class at Lonesome Lake in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Students collected lake water samples, performed field water quality measurements, and carried out soil tests. These activities were components of their capstone project and unit on Global Change evaluation.
I coordinated and participated in a conservation volunteer trip with my AP Environmental Science class, in collaboration with Vermont's Lake Champlain Land Trust in 2017. The trip's objectives focused on floodplain restoration, involving the removal of invasive species and the planting of native trees along the LaPlatte River.
In 2017, I established a partnership with professors from Middlebury College's geology department. The goal was to introduce and instruct my AP Environmental Science students on processing and analyzing water samples collected during the Lonesome Lake trip. The objective was to quantify trace elements using an ICAP mass spectrometer. This laboratory experience was developed in conjunction with the Global Change unit, specifically addressing the detrimental effects of nitrogen deposition on high elevation ecosystems.
Community Outreach at Montana State University
In 2019, our lab collaborated with the MJ Murdock Charitable Trust through a $15,000 grant, becoming a part of their Partners in Science program. Over two summers, we worked closely with local high school science educator Tory Dille from The Bozeman Field School, engaging in scientific research, mentorship, and presenting her work at a national conference. However, the primary objective of the partnership was to facilitate the transfer of the knowledge gained throughout the program back into Tory's classroom for the benefit of her students. For additional details on the Partners in Science program or to inquire about the program, please visit murdocktrust.org.
Photos from Bozeman Field Schools visit to the Brookshire Lab and Montana State's Environmental Analytical Laboratory in January 2020. Students participated in a lesson on soil biogeochemical processes and a short lab aimed at understanding how soil moisture affects soil nitrous oxide gas fluxes using our Picarro gas analyzer.
MSU Teaching
In the Fall of 2020 I developed and taught the lab portion of MSU's ENSC 353 (Environmental Biogeochemistry, taught by Dr. Clain Jones) course. Students participated in a duel-focused experiment that examined how: 1. the pyrolysis of woody biomass (juniper and ponderosa pine) and the resultant species-specific biochar affected soil gas fluxes and 2. how the biochar altered soil fertility and the effects on native perennial grass above-and-belowground growth. Feel free to reach out if you are interested in developing something similar!