Aaron L. Berger's Philosophy of Teaching

Philosophy of Teaching
Aaron L. Berger Ph.D. Candidate Active Tectonics, Geomorphology, and Structural Geology Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Geosciences 4044 Derring Hall Blacksburg , VA 24061 Philosophy of Teaching and Learning The basic tenet of my teaching philosophy is that students understand and learn as a result of doing. I believe that in the Earth Sciences, hands-on work lies at the heart of active learning and I am convinced that a thorough understanding of geology is best gained through personal observation and interpretation of Earth features and processes. Thus, where possible, I integrate hands-on exercises into classroom discussions, labs, and field work. At the end of the day students should see that science is dynamic and a common-sense way of viewing a problem and not a foreign way of thinking or a static collection of facts. Pedagogy Teaching is a profession that requires continuous practice, adjustment, and refinement so that new teaching strategies and class dynamics can be dealt with. I have found that in many situations, the standard university note-taking lecture is not always the most effective learning environment for students. In such situations, students are not individually engaged nor taught critical inquiry. Therefore, my teaching philosophy is centered on the concepts of self learning, thinking independently, and fostering the skills of observation and critical-thinking. By teaching students these abilities, I feel that upon graduation they will have the confidence to make decisions and apply what they have learned in school to a wide range of applications. In order to create an active learning environment, I rely heavily on geologic case studies, class demonstrations, current geological events, and PowerPoint presentations. Not only do such active teaching methods break the class into discrete learning sections, but there are also many other advantages over the lecture-only format. For instance, teaching using a multi-sensory approach helps students with diverse learning methods, backgrounds, and abilities. Lastly, I believe in being approachable and encouraging my students to ask questions both during and out of class. When students question and engage in dialog, not only are misconceptions identified and eradicated, but the class as a whole retains more of what they are taught as they become part of the learning process. Observation First – Terms Later I strongly believe in a teaching approach, where students begin by learning about a subject by first gaining hands-on personal experience. This process lets the students remain curious, pose questions, suggest alternative explanations, and devise possible hypotheses. Students that are taught by this approach develop a personal framework into which they can attach and relate their new knowledge allowing for a higher mean retention rate. Therefore, while teaching, I emphasize theory and hands-on experience foremost. Memorization of specifics and terminology can later be incorporated into this framework. Holding Students to High Academic Standards As a teacher, I believe in the philosophy that “when excellence is not expected, it will not be achieved”. As part of expecting a lot out of my students, every student starts out with an “A” but, it is up to him or her to work hard and study to maintain their grade. By setting high standards, the majority of today’s students which put forth just enough effort to receive their desired grade (be that an A, B, C, etc) and nothing more, will be pushed to their true potential. I believe that the human mind has an incredible capacity to acquire knowledge but sometimes it just needs a little push. In my classes, I will continually challenge my students to think critically and independently while at the same time diligently endeavor to keep the subjects exciting and meaningful.

Philosophy of Teaching

Aaron L. Berger
Ph.D. Candidate
Active Tectonics, Geomorphology, and Structural Geology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Department of Geosciences
4044 Derring Hall
Blacksburg , VA 24061

Philosophy of Teaching and Learning
The basic tenet of my teaching philosophy is that students understand and learn as a result of doing. I believe that in the Earth Sciences, hands-on work lies at the heart of active learning and I am convinced that a thorough understanding of geology is best gained through personal observation and interpretation of Earth features and processes. Thus, where possible, I integrate hands-on exercises into classroom discussions, labs, and field work. At the end of the day students should see that science is dynamic and a common-sense way of viewing a problem and not a foreign way of thinking or a static collection of facts.

Pedagogy
Teaching is a profession that requires continuous practice, adjustment, and refinement so that new teaching strategies and class dynamics can be dealt with. I have found that in many situations, the standard university note-taking lecture is not always the most effective learning environment for students. In such situations, students are not individually engaged nor taught critical inquiry. Therefore, my teaching philosophy is centered on the concepts of self learning, thinking independently, and fostering the skills of observation and critical-thinking. By teaching students these abilities, I feel that upon graduation they will have the confidence to make decisions and apply what they have learned in school to a wide range of applications. In order to create an active learning environment, I rely heavily on geologic case studies, class demonstrations, current geological events, and PowerPoint presentations. Not only do such active teaching methods break the class into discrete learning sections, but there are also many other advantages over the lecture-only format. For instance, teaching using a multi-sensory approach helps students with diverse learning methods, backgrounds, and abilities. Lastly, I believe in being approachable and encouraging my students to ask questions both during and out of class. When students question and engage in dialog, not only are misconceptions identified and eradicated, but the class as a whole retains more of what they are taught as they become part of the learning process.

Observation First – Terms Later
I strongly believe in a teaching approach, where students begin by learning about a subject by first gaining hands-on personal experience. This process lets the students remain curious, pose questions, suggest alternative explanations, and devise possible hypotheses. Students that are taught by this approach develop a personal framework into which they can attach and relate their new knowledge allowing for a higher mean retention rate. Therefore, while teaching, I emphasize theory and hands-on experience foremost. Memorization of specifics and terminology can later be incorporated into this framework.

Holding Students to High Academic Standards
As a teacher, I believe in the philosophy that “when excellence is not expected, it will not be achieved”. As part of expecting a lot out of my students, every student starts out with an “A” but, it is up to him or her to work hard and study to maintain their grade. By setting high standards, the majority of today’s students which put forth just enough effort to receive their desired grade (be that an A, B, C, etc) and nothing more, will be pushed to their true potential. I believe that the human mind has an incredible capacity to acquire knowledge but sometimes it just needs a little push. In my classes, I will continually challenge my students to think critically and independently while at the same time diligently endeavor to keep the subjects exciting and meaningful.