Teaching & Mentorship
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
As a developmental scientist with applied expertise, I am concerned with understanding the way people grow and relate over the course of their lives. Three ideas I hold central to studying human development are also central to my philosophy of teaching. First, people develop in relation to other people. In my classroom, we get to know each other so that we can more easily share ideas and work on collaborative projects, learning from each other’s experiences and perspectives. Second, humans exist as parts of dynamic systems. Thus, in my classes, we explore large (e.g., society) and small (e.g., family) systems and examine how power differences can create inequalities that impact the development of individuals. Third, the positionality of the researcher and constraints of the study can influence results. In the classroom, this encourages us to be reflective of our own biases and blind spots, and to be critical of the research and information we consume.
I design and lead my courses with diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity in mind. My syllabi feature research from multiple perspectives and scholars with various backgrounds and identities. My class discussions encourage students to think critically and examine the ways structural inequalities shape developmental opportunities. I ask students to reflect on the nuances of the privileges and oppressions that lie within their own identities. I also use inclusive language on my syllabi, including a diversity statement that communicates expectations for seeking understanding. I am attentive in accommodating students with disabilities. I avoid assumptions about students’ prior experience and training and am transparent about my expectations for academic writing and my grading procedures. In class and with my mentees, I am forthright about the unspoken rules of academia and help students—especially those from underrepresented groups—to see themselves as valuable scholars. I speak directly about the need for representation in higher education, and encourage and mentor interested students to pursue their Ph.D.
I have professional training and three years of college teaching experience, seven years of experience developing and facilitating professional development workshops for adults, and five years of classroom experience teaching middle school students. At the University of Illinois, I earned a minor in College Teaching from the College of Education and the Graduate Teaching Certificate from the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. The minor included courses in college student development and diversity in higher education. The certificate required 6+ hours of teaching workshops and seminars, as well as an observation of my teaching and an analysis of student feedback.
Created an open and honest environment which made the class enjoyable.
Kind, fair, enthused – overall she is a great instructor.
Gina genuinely cares about her students and it was clear that she wanted us to succeed. If I could take more classes from her, I would. I liked that Gina always assisted me whenever I needed help. She happily viewed my drafts and offered helpful feedback/advice every time.
Very kind and understanding. Great speaker, awesome at explaining concepts and just teaching in general.
Clearly passionate about the class and material. Always excited – made the class more enjoyable, interesting.
At the University of Michigan, I mentor graduate and undergraduate students as well as our community-based research assistants who work on the School and Community Pathways to Engagement (SCoPE) Project. These mentor relationships include supporting individuals to build the skills to produce high-quality research and scholarship, as well as collaborating on mutually beneficial projects. I seek to bridge my mentees' interests and strengths with the goals of the research project.
At the University of Illinois, I served as a research mentor to three undergraduate students on two separate projects. I trained them in qualitative research methods as they actively contributed to data analysis. I assigned them readings on methods, theory, and related empirical research, and held regular meetings individually and in groups to discuss their progress and support their work. Two of these students had opportunities to collaborate on publications (McGovern, Raffaelli, Moreno-Garcia, & Larson, 2019; Orson, McGovern, Larson, Szot, & Koelbl, 2019). I also served as a mentor to an undergraduate transfer student who was awarded the Illinois Promise scholarship. It is granted to students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who have the greatest amount of financial need. I supported her as she acclimated to her first year on campus, and provided professional, academic, and personal support and advice.
In this micro-lesson, I discuss the cognitive changes that occur during adolescence, the new potential that this creates, and the importance of healthy environments for youth.