Teaching Statement
General biochemistry is a course that teaches students about the chemical reactions that drive the biological processes in nature, including those within our own bodies. Most general biochemistry classes cover very similar material and include topics such as protein structure and translation, metabolism, DNA replication, and many others. Like most science classes, biochemistry is very information heavy. However, as a professor, I do not just want students to leave my classes with a large amounts of facts memorized. I want them to leave with the ability to see overarching concepts and big picture ideas that connect the many different areas of biochemistry. I want them to recognize that when they see an enzyme in one pathway and then see it again in a different pathway, it means that those two processes are connected. The many different reactions in the human body are not separate entities, they are interconnected processes that allow us to do the many amazing things that we often take for granted. In short, I want my students to leave my class with knowledge, but also the ability to think about science.
As a professor, it is my job, not only convey factual information to my students, but to help them make the leap from memorization to application, analysis, and evaluation. To get to this higher level of thinking, I cannot just stand in front of a class and read lecture notes. Students sitting in a classroom, listening to a professor lecture for an hour is not a good way to learn. Students need to be active and engaged in the material being presented. While some lecture is necessary to convey the large amount of information, it will be broken up with in-class activities. For example, in a lecture about amino acids, I would break the students up into groups and give each group note cards with amino acids on them. In their groups, they would then discuss the nature of each amino acid's R group (polar, non-polar, aromatic, etc.). They would then place the cards on the board under the correct label. We would then reconvene as a group and discuss the answers.
I am also a big believer in hands-on learning, which in biochemistry would probably involve a laboratory component. This would allow students to learn about a topic such as protein purification, then go into the lab and run a column that allows them to separate two dyes by the molecular mass. This activity allows students to get an idea of how protein purification works, but uses dyes instead, so it is easily to follow with the naked eye.
I also believe that it is important in teaching to help students make connections within the material. While they may not be happy that they cannot just forget all the information they were just tested on, I think these connections help them retain knowledge. As I said before, many processes in biochemistry are connected. An enzyme involved in glycolysis could also be involved in producing bases for DNA and RNA production. While we might cover these topics weeks apart in the schedule, they are still connected. I will highlight these connections during my teaching. The other factor that I consider important in helping students learn is giving them Real World examples of what we are studying. For example, all introductory biochemistry classes study glycolysis and oxidative respiration. Students learn the molecules involved, the enzymes that drive the reactions, and the locations in the cell where everything occurs. But this information becomes much more interesting when they see how those same processes allow a sprinter to race around a track, a lion to run down its prey, or even something as simple as a student raising his hand in class. Not only do I plan of giving students examples where a process is involved, but I will also have them come up with their own. I believe that having them apply the information they have learned not only helps them remember it, but forces them to really think what the information means. In short, I need to be a guide along the path to understanding biochemistry. I must provide students not only with facts and information, but an idea of how to think about that information, and hopefully, information they will be presented with in the future.
I also believe that I have a responsibility of to my students to be an advisor and a mentor. I will make myself available to not only answer questions from class, but also to help with academic advisement, provide research opportunities, and discuss career options. While I don't pretend to have all the right answers, I think I can provide insight from my own experiences, which would be helpful.