Teaching Portfolio
     
     

  Pedagogical:
Teaching
Advising
Objectives
Assessments

 

I. TEACHING EXPERIENCE

UNIVERSITY LECTURER
Physical Geology Lecturer
17 students, Fall '99
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
I was responsible for designing a curriculum for students accepted to Rutgers University based on high ranked athletic scholarship. I developed a learning environment based on building upon students successes, such as instituting pre-lecture assignments, providing extra instructional time and tutoring, and a full-day field trip that allowed students to succeed academically through discovery learning.

Historical Geology Lecturer
175 students, Spring '96
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
I was responsible for designing the syllabus and teaching a large lecture class. I expanded and extensively updated the curriculum with current results in geology.


UNIVERSITY LABORATORY INSTRUCTOR
Stratigraphy Laboratory
15-20 students, Spring '95, Spring '96, Spring '97, Spring '99
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
I was responsible for teaching weekly labs, grading and assessing the students, as well as assisting in five field trips. I developed and instituted six new laboratories based on integrated seismic and sequence stratigraphy. Labs were extensively revised and updated, based on a hands-on and student-centered teaching methodology. Most of the labs were part of a comprehensive term project using actual cores drilled from ODP Leg 150X as well as Ew1003 seismic profiles to solve a complex geologic problem: identifying and dating late Paleogene sequences. These were accomplished by integrating concepts of seismic and sequence stratigraphy, such as core descriptions, well log interpretations, biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and benthic foraminiferal biofacies and lithofacies analysis. Motivated by the results of this hands-on approach, I designed a trip to LDEO Columbia University Core Repository, enabling students to examine and describe cores as well as being introduced to the LDEO Core Repository.

Physical Geology Laboratory
10-27 students, Fall '93, Spring '94, Fall '95, Fall '97, Fall '98
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
I was responsible for designing the syllabus and teaching weekly laboratories (with introductory lectures) as well assigning grades for students in this one credit class. During the fall of 1998, I was the coordinator of four teaching assistants teaching five sections. On my own time and initiative, I designed and implemented two full-day field trips. The first trip let students discover and learn about the geology of New Jersey. The teaching methodology of directed discovery learning was implemented in the compiled road log and field guide. The second excursion was to New York City’s Museum of Natural History as well as a geologic tour through Central Park. An extensive guidebook as well as activity work sheets were written for the seven sections of the museum that pertained to geology, anthropology, and paleontology.

Invertebrate Paleontology Laboratory
20 students, Fall '96
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
I was responsible for teaching weekly labs, assisting in two field trips, and grading and assessing the students. Labs were extensively reorganized and revised with a methodology geared to foster greater learning through hands-on and directed discovery learning.

Geophysics Laboratory Instructor
18 students, Fall '94
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
Responsible for coordinating teaching weekly labs, assisting in 4 field trips, and grading and assessing the students.


PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TEACHER
Seventh through Eighth Grade Math Teacher
12 students, Fall '94-Spring '96
Riverdale Middle School, Riverdale, NY
A curriculum was designed to challenge students in math and prepared them for the standardized test for the NYC's magnet schools.

SAT Math Prep Teacher
~20 students, Fall '92-Spring '93
Learning Math Institute, Flushing, NY
Prepared students for the math portion of the GRE and SAT by using a combination of: developing skills to perform better on the test; intensive drilling; and practice tests.

Seventh through Eighth Grade Science and Math Teacher
~25 students, Fall '90-Spring '93
Y'Isreal Yeshiva, Queens, NY

Developed an intensive high-level curriculum that challenged the hard working students of the Yeshiva as well as created a positive working environment to learn.

Second Grade Teacher
~25 students, Fall '87-Spring '89
Pine Island Elementary School, Pine Island NY

Created a hands-on learning environment and integrated curriculum, resulting in the students becoming self motivated to learn as well as to excel in many areas of study. An example of an integrated curriculum included combining the study of the solar system, with Greek mythology, and classical music. This included construction of a planetarium (exhibited to the entire school) and four evening workshops that contained activities dealing with science such as observations of the planets and other celestial objects through telescopes.

Seventh Grade Teacher
18 students, Fall '86-Spring '87
Boro Hall Academy, Brooklyn, NY

Developed a curriculum that included all subject areas. Developed math, reading, and writing workshops due to the wide range of levels within the class (e.g., third grade through high school reading levels).

Third through Sixth Grade Student Teacher
~30 students, Spring '85-Fall '85
Central Park East I and II

I student taught in a student centered, hands-on, discovery-learning environment. The schools I taught in were depicted in the movie, "Music of the Heart", starring Meryl Streep who portrayed the violin teacher, Roberta Guaspari.