DR. MUHSINAH L. HOLMES MORRIS TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

DIRECTOR OF LABS, LECTURER IN BIOLOGY

OXFORD COLLEGE

1

Initially, I believe in giving students a general foundation of knowledge that they can tap into and stand firm on when approaching

and/or analyzing problems. I believe that this first layer is essential in helping the student make connections in the future. Science is

very integrated and interdisciplinary; therefore to be successful, one has to be a diverse thinker.

Ethics in science should be emphasized more. I believe that this portion is often overlooked. However, there is a lot of information

that is available to our students. We have to show them how to identify which sources of information are reliable and useful. People

sometimes believe that science happens spontaneously, like magic. I want to immediately dispel that myth and show my students how

diligence and patience can develop skill when learning a craft. The pressure to produce right or predicted answers sometimes is

greater than producing the truth. The truth may not coincide with the hypothesis but to accept that builds character and self-respect.

Extracting the learned lesson from the failure is most important and can be more rewarding in the end. You can learn more when the

path most taken or expected is paved with more questions.

I will create a question driven environment. I want for students to believe and understand that learning is infinite and that new

things happen each day. I am very honest with my answers and I own up to something if I do not know it. I do not want to be seen as

a person who has unattainable knowledge. I want to be seen as a human person who is always open to new ways of thinking,

analyzing, and viewing the world that we live in.

Science should be more relevant. I think that people shy away from unfamiliar territory. And because science has a reputation for

being hard, it is easier to use that excuse. It is amazing that we isolate science from everything else that is going on in the world and

everything that goes on involves science. When we teach science to kids in elementary school, we show them examples of things in

the house or on the playground that relates to science. But then as the child goes through middle school, high school and on to post-

secondary education, we shove science into this huge book that looks quite uninteresting to read. Our books alone do not promote the

urge to want to know. Therefore, I believe in relating the subjects that are learned to real-world situations or events. I think that

establishing some substantial and meaningful reason for learning this information is important. When something directly intercepts

things in our general understanding of life then it naturally peaks an interest. Humans have an innate need to know, how and why,

especially when it affects the quality of their own life.

It seems as if we throw all of our students into a box, add books stir and expect them to learn through serendipity. However, how to

learn is something that we must learn. When students know why they are learning something they are more likely to do a better job.

There are essential tools that one should have in order to effectively impart knowledge from a source to a person. This source is the

deliverer of information and could be the instructor in the form of a person or book, internet, television, newspaper, etc. One of the

greatest gifts that an instructor could give his or her students is the gift of knowing the method by which they will be learning. When

one knows how they are being taught, by what pedagogy and the premises behind that method; the students are more apt to embrace

the material being transferred to them via that method. Therefore, I firmly believe that it is important for the method that is being used

in the classroom to be clearly stated and relayed to the students. This allows for a smoother transition into the learning experience.

There are certain skills that I believe is important for success on the post-secondary level in science. They are critical thinking and

reasoning, communication skills which includes writing, organization skills, identification of learning styles, and active learning

opportunities.

Critical Thinking and Reasoning

By presenting broad ideas versus facts and small details, the students will be better able to grasp the concepts of science

rather than attempting to memorize formulas and/or equations. Extracting pertinent information from presented data is

an invaluable skill that all science students should have. Learning how to analyze and organize information teaches the

students how to better structure the large quantities of information that some problems present. It leads to better

approaches to problem solving.

Communication Skills

Providing an atmosphere where students are able to share information without feeling judged is key to obtaining vital

information about the processes in science.

Writing Skills

In order to become fluent in the language that is science, one must be able to clearly and legibly present his data in

written form without overwhelming the charts, graphs and tables with verbose explanations.

DR. MUHSINAH L. HOLMES MORRIS TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

DIRECTOR OF LABS, LECTURER IN BIOLOGY

OXFORD COLLEGE

2

Oral Presentation Skills

Being able to present ones research to the public is also one of the most vital communication skills that student must

learn. It is a learned skill to present a topic that most of the audience is unfamiliar with and make them feel as if they

are a part of the learning process each step of the way. Moreover, students have to know that the Q & A that occurs

during presentations are educational conversations that are for more thorough understanding of the relayed information

for the presenter and the audience and less of a chance to ostracize them or to criticize their work.

Organization Skills

Having a systematic approach to finding the solution to a problem, setting up an experiment, designing an experiment,

and identifying appropriate controls and variables are all essential to ultimately achieving in science labs and classes.

Identifying Learning Styles for Higher Retention of Information

This teaches students to be self-reflectors and self-motivated about their own learning experience. Allowing students

passive opportunities to take ownership is an auspicious way to get students involved in what is happening in their

classroom.

Provide Active Learning Opportunities

Giving the students an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned by teaching their peers through group and

cooperative learning is vital and the highest form of learning. Incorporating pedagogy like Problem Based Learning

(PBL), Investigative Case Based Learning (ICBL), Group Discussions, Simulations, and Debates into the curriculum

can propel students into the stratosphere of scientific learning. For example, debates help students to see the evolution

of science. Giving problems to the students that are open-ended is an excellent way to allow for them to see how to

begin to provide evidence supporting or negating an idea.

Furthermore, as a teacher I believe that it is important to motivate students about learning. In order to motivate them, you as an

instructor, must be enthusiastic about passing this information on to them. You also must create an atmosphere where the student

feels comfortable receiving information from you. The ability to accept you as a primary expert in the field is necessary to their

overall learning experience. I think that the teacher must be excited about new discoveries in science as well. The best thing that

students can learn about science is that it is not “dead”. By “dead” I mean stagnant and immovable. Science is dynamic whereby

there are always new and invigorating things that are being revealed every day in science. Students are unaware of the ever evolving

nature of science. Using the knowledge that I have gained through participating in research at the graduate level, I can ensure that the

student is involved in understanding the processes of scientific discovery and innovation.

There seems to be a barrier between student interest and science. Most students think that it is a boring subject that is not applicable

to their everyday life. It is my chief goal to see to it that this myth is dispelled. By engaging the students into the lessons and bringing

in other resources besides the book including but not limited to the internet, newspaper, magazines, scientific journals and experts in

the field, they will soon begin to realize the real-life applicability of science. They will also begin to see science as a meaningful

subject and not just a historical reference. By that I mean, when students read a textbook in science their first belief is that this is the

absolute truth of the subject. There is nothing new or added to this lesson. But by adding other resources such as the internet and

current scientific journals into the picture, the students will begin to see an ever changing presence in the field. They will also see that

science spans all disciplines including but not limited to chemistry, biology, physics, math and even computer science. Introducing

the class to how scientific research is conducted and published is also a part of the process that can make learning science more

exciting and rewarding. Perhaps then students will learn to take ownership of experiments that they perform in lab instead of them

simply being supplemental to the material learned.

I am dedicated to making my students enjoy every day of their experience in the classroom and/or lab with me. I am excited about all

of the new possibilities that learning science can bring and am ecstatic about bringing my students along with me on this fascinating

journey.