Evolution what would you like to know?

I enjoy talking about evolution. What it’s about, how it works, and the nearly endless conclusions and consequences it entails. When talking about it or teaching evolution it can be so easy to miss things, and I certainly don’t know everything about it either, but rather then just shooting out a post I thought I’d give our excellent followers a chance to ask some questions, or propose a suggestion or two on things they’d like to know, and I’ll see what I can do. These can extend further into general biology as well, and be aware my expertise is mostly in plants.

Any one interested?

Withteeth

So I’m sick and thinking about what I like to see in my teachers.

Sorry if there exists some horrid grammar, I’m sick and my dysgraphia comes out in full force when I have head colds.

So I have a knack for teaching, I figured this out a long while ago. While I’m not pursuing a teaching job as it isn’t necessarily something I love doing I don’t shrink from opportunity to educate when I can about subjects I’m knowledgeable about. Though if there are any points I’ve found to be most important both as a teacher and as a student it is the following two.

 

First try to keep things tangible and as retentive as possible. If your teaching a general course avoid specific examples unless your sure they characterize the vast majority of  cases. Obviously rule of cool may intercede, but don’t be surprised if your student mistake all cases for the cool case.  So you know be careful. As you move into specific fields it’s still important to follow this rule however obviously as your move further in you get more time to focus so can use more and more specific examples.

 

The second important lesson I’ve learned is to explain things in  multiple ways. This can be extremely difficult and can some times feel repetitive, but if it’s a important point which your students need to remember it does them the greatest service if you can explain the point in 2-3 different ways. “Another way to look at it…” and a good way of avoiding that repetitive feel. Try to hit too major learning types (visual, hands on, logic/math, verbal…) picking the best explanations over hitting all of them.

 

Withteeth