A pivotal moment in my educational journey occurred during my undergraduate studies, when a librarian shared: “It’s not about what you know, it’s about knowing how to find what you need to know.” This insight has stayed with me for over a decade and continues to shape my teaching philosophy. Over the past year, I have participated in numerous mentoring and teaching workshops to refine my instructional approach. 

One of the greatest challenges my students face is developing critical thinking skills, defined as the ability to engage in reflective and structured analysis of information, allowing individuals to interpret data, evaluate evidence, and make informed decisions. Many of my students come from undergraduate programs where passive learning and memorization are the norm. Transitioning to a more analytical, discussion-based approach can be difficult. But it is a challenge I embrace, because I know it is essential for their future success.

At its core, my philosophy is simple: to create critical thinkers. While this goal may seem straightforward, fostering critical thinking is a complex and ongoing process. Over the past two years, I have worked to embed this philosophy into every aspect of my teaching, and I am eager to continue this development through the Searle Fellows Program.

Teaching Practices

My teaching philosophy directly informs how I design and improve my courses. In REPR_SCI 406, students initially struggled to critically analyze peer-reviewed publications. In response, I restructured the course into a two-part cycle: one class focused on background content, followed by a student-led journal club. This structure, spread over several days, gave students time to digest thematerial and formulate thoughtful questions. Based on student feedback before and after the change, the adjustment was effective.

I also participated in a generative AI workshop with my goal being to develop an assignment that encourages my students to engage with emerging technologies while learning to maintain academic integrity. During the workshop, I redesigned a literature review assignment to incorporate AI tools responsibly. The revised assignment clearly outlines when and how students may use generative AI, because I believe it is essential to prepare students to use new tools effectively and ethically.

Given the limited time I have with students, I focus less on delivering exhaustive content and more on equipping them with tools to think critically and independently. Our master’s program prepares students for diverse careers in reproductive science—from clinical research to medical school to IVF clinics. While I cannot teach every specific skill needed for each path, I can provide a strong foundation in analytical thinking and scientific reasoning. To assess this, in REPR_SCI 440 I assign critical thinking questions throughout the course that extend beyond the lesson.

Enriching the Classroom

To help students appreciate the significance of the material, I incorporate historical context into lectures. These stories bring the content to life and highlight the real-world implications of our field. I also include fun facts and anecdotes to maintain engagement.

Students learn best when they feel safe to take intellectual risks. To foster this environment, I break down complex concepts into manageable parts, encourage questions, and normalize mistakes as part of the learning process. Research is inherently uncertain—we are exploring the unknown. Students must feel comfortable trying, failing, analyzing, and trying again.

I also adapt my teaching to accommodate different learning styles. For example, in REPR_SCI 440, I recorded data analysis tutorials after realizing students worked at different paces. This allowed them to learn at their own pace during class and allowed me to provide individualized support to those with questions. This change significantly improved the learning experience for both students and me.

Student Role in the Classroom

I ask my students to bring effort and intention to their learning. I set clear expectations and provide the resources they need to succeed—posting materials in advance, offering detailed assignment briefs, presenting content in multiple formats, and holding regular office hours.

I also prioritize building rapport. I learn students’ names quickly, engage in casual conversation, and regularly check in to ensure they understand the material. If a student struggles, I offer revision opportunities and encourage one-on-one meetings, viewing assessments as tools for growth.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I want my students to develop a deep understanding of the scientific process and to value their analytical skills. I hold them to high standards because I believe in their potential. My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that education is not just about information—it’s about transformation.

My teaching philosophy focuses on training students to become independent and confident thinkers who understand where they fit within the great web of scientific history and advancement.

An essential component of my teaching philosophy centers on critical thinking: the intentional practice of pausing to reflect on one’s own reasoning—its purpose, assumptions, information, and implications—allowing us to understand the true origins of thoughts. As a scientist, I value iterative processes and view critical thinking as a disciplined method that guides growth in myself and my students. Learning is often most profound at the very moments when we fail—but only if we’re willing to stop, examine the misstep, and let it reshape us. Through positive encouragement and acknowledgment of the course content's difficulty, I strive to build students’ confidence by acknowledging the uphill climb ahead, reassuring them that I am there to help, and reiterating the beautiful view awaiting them at the top.

My secondary teaching objective is to help students recognize the story that lives within science. For much of my own schooling, science was presented as a fixed collection of facts rather than an evolving narrative. It was not until my undergraduate Advanced Cell Biology course that I encountered a different approach. That professor revealed science as a quest—a continuous effort to uncover the why and understand the how regarding life. Yet even when science is taught as a narrative, the focus is usually on the breakthroughs rather than the people behind them. We celebrate revolutionary findings but rarely illuminate who these scientists were in their everyday lives or how they navigated the long, winding path toward expertise. Although we claim to want others to reach similar heights, we offer little clarity about what that journey actually entails. Knowledge is only one variable in the success equation.

Complicating this narrative further is the reality that scientific progress has not always been noble. Research has a history marked by profound ethical failures in which foundational knowledge was gained at the expense of countless lives. The moral frameworks we rely on today exist because of those dark chapters. I believe it is essential for students to learn this history, both to appreciate the boundaries now in place and to understand the responsibility that comes with pushing the frontiers of science.

Teaching Practices

I incorporate the aforementioned core values into my courses. Through various in-class activities and homework assignments, I aim to introduce students to at least one new tool every class session that is broadly useful, such as critical thinking, organization, analytical, and verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Activities range from gathering and analyzing data to writing up lab notebook reports.

I create a safe, open learning environment by encouraging questions and normalizing mistakes as part of the scientific process. I remind students that errors are integral to discovery—many breakthroughs began as missteps—and emphasize that research is inherently uncertain. My goal is for students to feel comfortable trying, failing, reflecting, and trying again. Most students’ grades are based on effort and completeness rather than on correct answers. If correct answers are required, students are usually given multiple attempts.

When introducing students to new concepts, I provide additional information about the key figures involved and the historical context around relevant discoveries. Guest speakers are encouraged to share an overview of their academic and career journey to offer students tangible pipelines to success. These stories bring the content to life and highlight the real-world implications of our field, ultimately showing students how they can fit into that unfolding story.

Student Role

I expect students to take an active role in their learning by bringing effort, curiosity, and intention to the classroom. Their responsibility is to engage with the material, ask questions, and make use of the opportunities available to deepen their understanding. To support this, I create an environment where students can participate meaningfully. They have access to materials in advance, clear assignment expectations, multiple ways to engage with the content, and consistent opportunities to seek clarification or feedback. These structures are designed to help students take ownership of their progress.

Students also play a central role in shaping our classroom community. By building rapport—learning one another’s names, participating in conversation, and sharing where they feel confident or uncertain—they help create a space where learning feels collaborative rather than isolating. When challenges arise, students are encouraged to revise their work, meet with me individually, and view assessments as opportunities to practice. Their willingness to reflect, persist, and grow is what ultimately drives their success.

Conclusion

Ultimately, I want my students to develop a deep understanding of the scientific process and to value their thinking skills. My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that education is not just about information—it’s about transformation.