Teaching Philosophy:
"Doceo ergo sum" -- I teach therefore I am.
One student at a time.
My goal as a teacher is not only to teach the subject material of a particular course, but more importantly, to help students improve their ability to think and communicate as a scientist. Some students find my courses hard; others find my courses to be extraordinarily helpful in developing a love for organismal biology. I focus on the incredible complexity and interrelationships of life, in particular, tradeoffs wherever they occur, whether that be in the intricacies of modern fisheries biology to the wonders of animal behavior.
I teach a diversity of courses, ranging from Bio 9, an introductory course for non-majors, to upper division biology courses such as Fisheries Biology, Animal Behavior and Ichthyology, to advanced graduate courses such as Behavioral Ecology, Advanced Fisheries and Advanced Ecology.
I do not employ multiple-choice testing and a student can expect to do a lot of writing in my courses. I find a dramatic increase in the ability of students to construct and write logical scientific arguments between the start and end of my courses and I think this greatly improves a student's future prospects whatever those might be. If this is the kind of thing that interests you, below is what I teach. If you are merely interested in a few easy credits, please look elsewhere.
Courses I teach:
Present/Future: | ||||||||
Fall 2017 |
|
|||||||
Spring 2018 |
|
Past: | ||||||||
Fall 2016 |
|
|||||||
Spring 2017 |
|
Past: | ||||||||||
Fall 2015 |
|
|||||||||
Spring 2016 |
|
|||||||||
Summer 2016 | EVE 101 (UC Davis) | Introduction to Ecology |
Past: | ||||||||
Summer 2015 |
|
|||||||
Fall 2014 | ||||||||
Spring 2015 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Summer 2013 |
|
||||||||
Fall 2013 | |||||||||
Spring 2014 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2012 |
|
||||||||
Spring 2013 | I am on sabbatical during the Spring 2013 semester. This means that for the most part I am available in my office and lab; however, I am not be teaching in the classroom during this semester. Mostly I am researching and writing my book on cichlid fishes. |
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2011 |
|
||||||||
Spring 2012 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2010 | |||||||||
Spring 2011 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2009 | |||||||||
Spring 2010 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2008 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Spring 2009 |
|
Past: | |||||||
Fall 2007 |
|
||||||
Spring 2008 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2006 |
|
||||||||
Spring 2007 |
|
Past: | |||||||
Fall 2005 |
|
||||||
Spring 2006 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2004 |
|
||||||||
Spring 2005 |
|
Past: | |||||||||
Fall 2003 |
|
||||||||
Spring 2004 |
|
Past: | |||||||
Fall 2002 |
|
||||||
Spring 2003 |
|
Past: | |||||||
Fall 2001 |
|
||||||
Spring 2002 |
|
Pedagogical Interests:
Teaching of Evolution:
I am interested in how evolutionary concepts are taught in schools. I believe a clear understanding of evolution is essential for understanding biology at any level. I feel that too often evolution is taught as an adjunct topic rather than as the fundamental building block it is.