| Laura D. Triplett |
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I believe that people only truly learn if they care about a subject. A person can be forced to learn something at a superficial level, but he or she will not integrate it into his or her life and philosophy that way. Thus, my primary goal in teaching is to create a spark of interest and enthusiasm in each student. To accomplish this, I try to make a course challenging for students and an adventure; if they feel that they are exploring new ground rather than following stale, generic lessons, they will be more excited. |
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The scientific method is central to geology, yet it is difficult to teach. Informal scientific curiosity comes naturally to some people and is often where great scientific discoveries originate. Some people, though, have not recognized this innate curiosity in themselves or, worse, have had it stifled by previous science classes that focused on boring, superficial learning. I seek to encourage spontaneous, informal questioning that I can then guide into formal, rigorous scientific experimentation. |
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I have taught an introductory level course and labs and have also taught classes to undergraduate geology majors (see my CV). Both types of students bring unique challenges and interesting perspectives to the classroom. I enjoy teaching non-science majors because I strongly believe that all citizens of this planet need a basic understanding of and respect for the scientific process. Introductory-level classes invite an enthusiastic teaching style to grab students' attention, and they benefit from creative approaches to teaching basic concepts. I also enjoy teaching science majors because those students appreciate the challenge of asking questions and exploring the world, and they challenge me in return with their curiosity and energy. |
