TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
As a teacher, my goal is for each student to walk away from my classroom feeling empowered and ready to change the world. I aim to provide the intellectual structure and training tools to support the next generation of decision-makers and leaders and work to ensure equitable access to skills critical for success. My teaching is student-centered, purpose-driven, and inquiry-based, allowing every student to develop their own creativity, critical thinking skills, and a love of learning.
Experiential student-centered learning. Central to my teaching philosophy is the importance of experiential learning. Through hands-on experiences and reflection, students are better able to connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations. I take a personalized approach to teaching that recognizes the diverse ways in which students learn and are motivated, providing multiple approaches to engage with the material.
Fostering purpose and motivation through personalization and respect. To foster a greater sense of purpose and motivation, I offer students a choice in topics to study and ways to be assessed, so that students are encouraged to be self –rather than performance—motivated.
Think like a scientist: inquiry-based labs. Wherever possible, I use inquiry-based approaches to encourage student creativity and personal engagement with the material. As Head TA for UCSB’s Vertebrate Ecology course, I’ve seen the success of this method first-hand: we asked students to generate and test their own hypotheses about plant-animal interactions at a preserve near campus using data collected by the class. Unlike scripted laboratory settings, students organically internalized the scientific method (and experienced first-hand the scientific realities of missing data and failed experiments). Additionally, this leveraged cooperative peer-to-peer learning as students collectively brainstormed ideas, collected and interpret data, and presented results.
Experiential student-centered learning. Central to my teaching philosophy is the importance of experiential learning. Through hands-on experiences and reflection, students are better able to connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations. I take a personalized approach to teaching that recognizes the diverse ways in which students learn and are motivated, providing multiple approaches to engage with the material.
Fostering purpose and motivation through personalization and respect. To foster a greater sense of purpose and motivation, I offer students a choice in topics to study and ways to be assessed, so that students are encouraged to be self –rather than performance—motivated.
Think like a scientist: inquiry-based labs. Wherever possible, I use inquiry-based approaches to encourage student creativity and personal engagement with the material. As Head TA for UCSB’s Vertebrate Ecology course, I’ve seen the success of this method first-hand: we asked students to generate and test their own hypotheses about plant-animal interactions at a preserve near campus using data collected by the class. Unlike scripted laboratory settings, students organically internalized the scientific method (and experienced first-hand the scientific realities of missing data and failed experiments). Additionally, this leveraged cooperative peer-to-peer learning as students collectively brainstormed ideas, collected and interpret data, and presented results.
ACADEMIC TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara (Undergraduate, Upper Division)
Instructor. EEMB 113L: Field Laboratory Vertebrate Biology, Ecology, and Evolution
Fall 2020, 60 students (12 students/section)
Teaching Assistant (Lead). EEMB138: Ethology and Behavioral Ecology
Spring 2017, 85 students
Teaching Assistant (Lead). EEMB 113 & 113L: Vertebrate Biology, Ecology, and Evolution & Field Laboratory
Fall 2015, 84 students
Winter 2016, (113L only), 45 students
Fall 2016, 78 students
Teaching Assistant. EEMB 113 & 113L
Fall 2014, 64 students (lecture), 13 students (lab)
Benioff Ocean Initiative, University of California Santa Barbara
Teaching Assistant (Volunteer). Field Ecology of the Channel Islands (short-course)
Winter 2017, 20 students
College of Creative Studies, University of California Santa Barbara
Teaching Assistant (Undergraduate). CS101: Drawing & Painting with a Botanist and Artist on the UC Reserves
Summer 2010, 15 students
Instructor. EEMB 113L: Field Laboratory Vertebrate Biology, Ecology, and Evolution
Fall 2020, 60 students (12 students/section)
Teaching Assistant (Lead). EEMB138: Ethology and Behavioral Ecology
Spring 2017, 85 students
Teaching Assistant (Lead). EEMB 113 & 113L: Vertebrate Biology, Ecology, and Evolution & Field Laboratory
Fall 2015, 84 students
Winter 2016, (113L only), 45 students
Fall 2016, 78 students
Teaching Assistant. EEMB 113 & 113L
Fall 2014, 64 students (lecture), 13 students (lab)
Benioff Ocean Initiative, University of California Santa Barbara
Teaching Assistant (Volunteer). Field Ecology of the Channel Islands (short-course)
Winter 2017, 20 students
College of Creative Studies, University of California Santa Barbara
Teaching Assistant (Undergraduate). CS101: Drawing & Painting with a Botanist and Artist on the UC Reserves
Summer 2010, 15 students
MENTORING AND OUTREACH
As much as I enjoy teaching in the classroom, one-on-one mentorship is my favorite way to interact with students.
During graduate school, I worked with 1-3 students in the Young Lab each quarter to teach research techniques and help students navigate coursework and plan their career trajectories.
Over the summers, I was fortunate enough to work with outstanding undergraduate fellows through several campus programs:
ESA SEEDS: In collaboration with my PhD advisor Hillary Young, labmate Ana Miller-ter-Kuile, and undergraduate mentees Isabella Magoya and Carina Motta, I helped run UCSB's chapter of SEEDS from 2017-2020. SEEDS is a program hosted by the Ecological Society of America to increase undergraduate involvement in ecological research, with a focus on increasing opportunities for minoritized students. To learn more, check out the ESA SEEDS @ UCSB website: http://ucsbseeds.weebly.com (unfortunately, SEEDS was on an extended hiatus during the pandemic; activities are scheduled to resume during the 2022-2023 academic year)
During graduate school, I worked with 1-3 students in the Young Lab each quarter to teach research techniques and help students navigate coursework and plan their career trajectories.
Over the summers, I was fortunate enough to work with outstanding undergraduate fellows through several campus programs:
- EUREKA (http://eureka-csep.cnsi.ucsb.edu/scholars/motta)
- Gene Lucas Scholars Program (http://academics.sa.ucsb.edu/research-funds/gene-and-susan-lucas-fund)
- UC LEADS (https://ucleads.ucop.edu/)
- Worster Award Program
- Colgate Summer Fellowship (hosted visiting undergraduate scholar from Colgate University)
ESA SEEDS: In collaboration with my PhD advisor Hillary Young, labmate Ana Miller-ter-Kuile, and undergraduate mentees Isabella Magoya and Carina Motta, I helped run UCSB's chapter of SEEDS from 2017-2020. SEEDS is a program hosted by the Ecological Society of America to increase undergraduate involvement in ecological research, with a focus on increasing opportunities for minoritized students. To learn more, check out the ESA SEEDS @ UCSB website: http://ucsbseeds.weebly.com (unfortunately, SEEDS was on an extended hiatus during the pandemic; activities are scheduled to resume during the 2022-2023 academic year)