I was blessed with the opportunity to gain intensive teaching experience during my Ph.D. program, teaching both lab sessions and delivering pre-lab lectures. I taught Genetics Lab and Biochemistry Lab, and even served as the director for the Biochemistry Lab for a semester. Here is my teaching philosophy. Following that, you’ll find thoughts from two of my students about their experiences in my biochemistry lab and pre-lab lectures.
My Teaching Philosophy
Science, in my eyes, is not just a collection of facts and theories but a dynamic process of discovery that connects the past, present, and future. Teaching science is more than just sharing past discoveries; it’s about inspiring curiosity, fostering critical thinking, and creating an inclusive learning environment where students feel empowered to explore and engage with the material.
My love for teaching comes from the profound impact education has had on my life. As a first-generation college student and an international student, getting a doctorate in science in a foreign language was once beyond my dreams. This achievement became possible with the support of dedicated educators who guided me along the way. Just as these extraordinary educators made science accessible and fascinating to me, I strive to pass on these gifts to my students.
Teach Like a Learner
I embrace the philosophy of “teach like a learner”, preparing my lectures not as someone who has mastered the material but as a fresh learner encountering it for the first time. I include enough details and background when introducing new concepts, breaking them down into simple, manageable steps to help my students untangle complex materials like the mathematical calculations in biochemistry or the logic flow behind laboratory instructions.
Just like having a map is helpful when navigating a new place, understanding the “map” of the material is crucial for students. At the start of each class, I remind students of our learning roadmap for the semester, showing how previous material connects to what we’re about to learn and how it will lead to future topics. This context brings purpose to learning and sparks curiosity to tackle new challenges. It also provides a strong psychological foundation of confidence, reducing the fear of getting lost in the subject and empowering students to believe they can master it.
I also encourage students to learn like teachers. Science can be complicated and counterintuitive, and grasping the content often needs repeated efforts. When students come to my office hours with questions, I always ask them to explain their understanding of the question. From there, I help them clarify their thoughts. Afterwards, I encourage them to repeat their understanding to me as if they were teaching the material they just learned.
Teach Like a Mirror
Another part of my teaching philosophy is to “teach like a mirror,” reflecting each student’s individual learning style, helping them recognize their interests, and nurturing their unique strengths. My approach involves guiding students to discover answers for themselves through inquiry-based learning and thoughtful questioning. I encourage them to voice their questions, develop hypotheses, and interpret experimental results. This process helps them form a comprehensive understanding of the material, much like their own discovery journey.
Breaking the Barrier and Promoting Inclusion
When I was a kid, I didn’t grow up steeped in science education. I thought science was cool but distant, and I didn’t see myself as someone smart enough to do research in the future. Fortunately, I had amazing educators who showed me what it’s like to conduct research and work in a lab. They taught me great habits of scientific thinking, which boosted my confidence and broke down the barriers of fear and self-doubting. These experiences ignited my passion for science and gave me the confidence to persist through difficulties. Now, I strive to pass on this idea to my students. By sharing my own research experiences and challenges, I show students that scientists are real people with their own stories and struggles, giving them the courage to face their own learning challenges.
I want to create an inclusive classroom where all students feel valued and supported, regardless of their academic background or previous experiences. I use analogies to explain concepts and simple language to convey jargons to make learning easier. I am particularly passionate about encouraging women and underrepresented groups in science by sharing the stories of female scientists to inspire my students.
Engaging Teaching Style
I aim to make my classes engaging and lively, reflecting my passion for teaching and science. Keeping students’ attention and curiosity during lectures is key to effective learning. My goal is to bridge science and life by creatively preparing lessons and sharing unique experiences. I believe my creative incorporations of real-world applications and personal anecdotes can make learning enjoyable and help students see the relevance of science in their everyday lives. I also love sharing stories about scientists throughout history to highlight the social, and cultural influences on scientific advancements. This approach helps students see science as a human endeavor, that includes both triumphs and challenges.
In summary, my goal as an educator is to cultivate a lifelong love of learning in my students. Beyond course content, I aim to guide students deeper into the thinking process, helping them appreciate the beauty of problem-solving and the elegance of experimental designs. My teaching philosophy, grounded in empathy, inclusivity, and passion, seeks to inspire my students to embrace genuine curiosity, become independent thinkers, and face the challenges in their learning endeavors with persistence and confidence.
first semester of teaching
Students’ Feedback
feedback 1
“I was a student under Lead Teaching Fellow Shican Li throughout my Biochemistry Lab course at Georgetown University in the Fall 2018 semester. Under Shican’s instruction, I was consistently engaged with and excited about the material as a result of her enthusiastic teaching style and wealth of knowledge in the biochemistry field. Shican not only put in great effort to individually connect with each of her students during laboratory hours, but also made herself readily available throughout the week outside of class time to discuss difficult concepts and provide extra help. I particularly appreciated Shican’s efforts to not only explain the relevant course material, but also her creative idea to further our knowledge of science throughout history by including weekly highlights of scientists from diverse backgrounds in each of her lessons.
Based on my experience with Shican, I believe that her main strengths lie in her ability to connect with her students and her passion for science that clearly presents through her teaching style … …”
— Sabrina Ciervo, Georgetown University Class of 2020
feedback 2
“I was a post-baccalaureate student in a biochemistry course for which Claire was a teaching fellow. Every week, Claire prepared an in-depth pre-laboratory lecture to give us context for the weekly experiment. Within these lectures, Claire patiently walked us through the foundational concepts underlying each lab technique, as well as providing the overall educational motives for the experiment. Additionally, she provided in-lab entertainment by exploring the personal lives of many of the great historical biochemists. Claire was always available outside of lab to provide students with extra assistance on either lecture or laboratory material.
As her student, I appreciated that she never spoon-fed us answers. She had every faith that her students could learn the material if guided with the right questions. In lecture, her humanistic approach to historical researchers was very enlightening, and helped to underscore the political and enterprising aspects of science. Additionally, her feminist attitude toward the future of women in science was extremely refreshing. I know that I, along with several other female students in the lab, were gratified by Claire’s passion about the rising number of women in research.
As a post-baccalaureate student, I’ve taken many classes with a wide array of teaching assistants. It’s very clear to me that Claire genuinely cares about her students and their education. She’s very passionate about learning and puts a great deal of time and effort into helping her students grow as critical thinkers … … “
— Jennifer Henry, BA