David S. McLeod  

Philosophy of Education

As an educator, I am a facilitator, not an expert. In my earliest years of teaching I thought it was possible, and necessary, to be an expert on all things biological and that my students would absorb this knowledge effectively as I imparted it through my lectures. I quickly realized this notion was both impossible and ineffective. Over the past 22 years of teaching I have found no effective “one-size-fits-all” pedagogy. My teaching now reflects my understanding that a lesson where students are engaged by palpating their own bodies helps associate a name with a real anatomical structure; that a lecture interspersed with questions can help draw connections between facts and concepts; that both pictures and explanations are necessary for reaching students and that these are more effective than a simple lecture. I have learned that empowering students to “teach” other students yields far greater results than when they hope that passive learning will suffice. Ultimately, I have discovered that an answer of “I don’t know” offered in conjunction with an agreement to collaboratively seek an answer goes a long way in one’s education.

I strive to foster curiosity in students. Whether it is an undergraduate level human anatomy lab, or a 9 grade

science course, fostering curiosity involves teaching students to be observers of their surroundings and learning to record what they see, feel, smell, taste and hear. Encouraging students to re-examine the familiar and mundane objects that surround them helps them to see that these “common” things are the embodiment of functions and relationships among uncommon, complex, and fascinating structures. I encourage students to explore with their hands, their eyes and their brains. I challenge them to think critically about what they are observing, ask questions, and develop ideas based on what they experience. I never hesitate to push students to continue to investigate when the material doesn’t seem to be exactly as the textbook presents it, be it veins with odd branching patterns, insects they can’t easily key out, or phylogenetic patterns that don’t easily resolve.

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I am committed to mentoring, training, and facilitating. I have been mentoring students since my time as a high school teacher where I trained students to become collections managers who were capable of building and maintaining live and preserved collections. As a graduate student I mentored high school students, undergraduate, and younger graduate students. I typically work with 5–10 undergraduates and one Master’s student each semester that are engaged in independent research, always with the goal of getting them to the point of publication. As the Director of Anatomy at KU I offered a class to undergraduate apprentice teaching assistants where we learned and implemented effective teaching strategies. I also created opportunities for senior graduate students to co-teach a large lecture section (500+) of anatomy. During this time they became familiar with developing curriculum, assessment, and delivering class material. As a classroom teacher, I seek continued mentorship in the form input and help from more experienced peers. I am pleased be able to provide the same for home-school parents, elementary, and secondary level teachers.

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My passion for biology is naturally reflected in what and how I teach. I am interested in many things, and am passionate about a few. I am passionate about science, natural history, making collections and asking questions about the organisms and environments that I observe. I see value in harnessing this passionate energy for biology and coupling it with a creative, hands-on approach to learning. I could devise the most imaginative course possible, but if I did not have a natural interest and curiosity, my efforts spent attempting to teach would be wasted. The result I aim for is a situation in which students are encouraged to explore, understand, and ultimately have a positive influence the world around them.