In my experience teaching as a biomechanics sessional lecturer, graduate teaching assistant, and guest lecturer, I have developed a philosophy that strives to curate a classroom environment for optimal learning. While my philosophy is inevitably subject to change and improvement with exposure to diverse experiences, I am confident with the following core principles to set a solid foundation for teaching and learning success:

• I believe it is important to build cooperation and respect within the classroom. To build a cooperative, respectful, and safe learning environment, I like to lead by example. The growth I seek in my students is not limited to an understanding of kinesiology, but I also aspire to develop students’ character by leading by example in the way that I carry myself, interact with students, colleagues, and others, as well as value every individual, regardless of background, race, sex, identity, and/or skills. I have adopted Martin Luther King Jr.’s words as they have helped shape my philosophy of teaching: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

• I believe that providing clear communication can facilitate trust and integrity in the classroom. I work to communicate clearly with students regarding expectations, instructions, and feedback to foster trust and integrity in the learning process and between myself and the students. I like to be prepared for each class – organized and equipped to do my best as an instructor. Holding myself to a high standard and providing clear communication shows my students I care about their learning. I believe students can take initiative with their learning, ownership of their class preparedness, and pride in the work they invest in their studies when they know what is expected of them.

• I believe that providing a variety of application opportunities for learning can enhance student engagement and depth of understanding. Students’ depth of learning stems from knowing why and how course material can benefit them in their respective careers/futures. Therefore, I work to engage students by approaching lessons with a curious mind, posing questions from a multitude of perspectives, and highlighting the diverse career goals of the students. While biomechanics may be considered one of the less-intuitive courses, students regularly need to hear precisely how an athletic trainer, sports coach, biomechanist, strength and conditioning coach, community activity organizer, medical personnel, and other professions may benefit from knowing and applying the course material. Like the familiar anecdote, “You play like you practice,” I strongly encourage students to “practice” their new knowledge and skill by applying it in what could one day be “real-life” situations. Instead of posing all fact-based assessment questions, I tend to ask situational questions regarding how particular concepts and methods might be used in a related field. My schooling and athletic experiences have shaped a diverse worldview, which helps me apply in-class topics to real-world situations. I also strive to have students take ownership in the development of their understanding of material by constructing courses with opportunities for individuality in assignments. I find that having course work be specific to individual student interests can allow students to invest more in their learning with the incentive of preparedness within their respective careers.

• I am a lifelong learner and believe that I will always be improving and honing my skill as a teacher. I continually seek feedback, mentorship, and other resources to improve my teaching for the sake of improved learning and enhanced classroom experiences for students. Given the fast-changing landscape of technology, emerging evidence-based teaching strategies, and health-based innovations and inventions, it is imperative that I remain immersed in current practices for teaching as well as advancements for exercise science.

One such specific teaching strategy that I have implemented recently is the idea of “retrieving learning from memory,” reinforced by the authors of “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.” While introducing material in class, I include frequent pauses where I probe student’s deeper understanding by asking questions such as: What are the key ideas presented? How might this concept apply to a physical therapist or a strength and conditioning coach? Why might an athlete want to know this information? What is new information here? How does it relate with or differ from ideas you already know? This technique has been shown to help strengthen students’ learning and improve their ability to connect their new learnings with prior knowledge. Another way I try to emphasize this connectedness is by starting many of my classes with a quick quiz (ungraded) to remind students of the material learned the previous class. In many cases, I also end the class with another short quiz to reinforce the newly learned information. The end-of-class assessment also helps guide my emphasis for the following class and review materials.