My Experience As A Mentoring Students

Despite having thought different courses and levels this is the first time I have had to express my teaching philosophy. I have been aware for years that there are different teaching styles, and have been unconsciously judging them through the years, but I have never pondered extensively what this means to me. Through this process, I have determined that when I step into a classroom I aim to be prepared, present and stimulating.

Prepared

As a student, I never appreciated when my teacher hand-waved or got stuck on things because of poor preparation, and my goal is not to do the same to my students. I start planning lessons by reviewing what I know and don’t know about the topic, searching for a spark of excitement and mystery in the content

However, there are some aspects in my advising experience that I think are worth mentioning.

I think my job as a mentor goes further than research advising. Advising about other academic issues, thinking about future careers, and helping students think about life choices both in and beyond academia are also important. I talk to students at a regular basis: where they are at, what is going well, what problems they are having, etc. I spend the most time with my own students, but I often also have casual conversations with other students in the department as well as students from other institutions at conferences.

I consider essential to help students understand what they need to pursue their intellectual, career, and personal goals. This is particularly critical in interdisciplinary spaces like ocean sciences that encompass a number of intellectual communities and ways of knowing. Thus, one of my major goals is to get students to think about which disciplines, conferences, and people will help them achieve their objectives. I make them aware of choices and opportunities and I connect them with people who know more than me about particular topics. I encourage them to think about work-life balance, making sure that they are not neglecting the kinds of priorities that are easy to sacrifice when they have concrete tasks with deadlines and