WORKSHOPS IMPACTING MY GROWTH OVER TIME AS A 2YC PROFESSOR

Heather McDonald has been integral in facilitating and organizing numerous workshops that have had a profound and positive influence on my growth in my career and personal development. As a result of these workshops, I have made my classes more student-centered, become a more confident curriculum developer, become an advocate for 2YC students, and developed a professional and supportive community.

My teaching has evolved from primarily lecture to interactive and hands-on. I began making these changes shortly after I first met Heather during the Early Career workshop in 2005. Since then, other workshops have given me the resources to flip some classes, add an inquiry element to my labs, and implement a multi-week interactive module. As a curriculum developer, I initially created simple and short activities for my own classroom. Further growth at workshops lead me to realize that the curricula I develop could positively impact more students, so I began publishing my work, such as Lecture Tutorial workbooks, the introductory geology textbook Focus on Geology, and a GETSI module.

In addition to influencing my teaching, workshops have increased my awareness of the role 2YC faculty play in the paths of our students. Heather is a leader in the SAGE 2YC program which has helped me understand strategies to increase student transfers and to prepare those students for success. These workshops have also helped me develop a supportive community with other geoscience and 2YC faculty where I can find the resources I need.