Tag Archives: teaching

Get your undergrads thinking about analysis from the start

Posted on June 14, 2018 by

The last post talked about making sure undergrads get the big picture of their questions. This is essential, but it is not the end. All too often analysis is left for the end and there is no exploring. Ideally, students … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and analysis, The joy of teaching, Undergraduates | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

What can you give others at a scientific meeting?

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

My undergraduate advisor, Richard Alexander of the University of Michigan once told me that there was nothing I could do better for my career than to give a great talk at a national meeting. Unfortunately, the converse was also true, … Continue reading →

Posted in Scientific meetings, Undergraduates | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Teaching effectively and efficiently: abstract writing

Posted on March 1, 2017 by

Are you happy with how you teach writing? Do you have a trick? The only tricks I have are to give good examples and to have students write a lot. Beth Fisher at a Wash U writing workshop convinced me … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How many hours a week can you work on research?

Posted on February 19, 2017 by

What are my colleagues around the world doing on this Sunday, a brilliantly sunny February day too warm for a jacket in St. Louis? Are they out hiking, bird watching, or cooking a delicious meal? Are they playing with their … Continue reading →

Posted in Daily routines, Follow a scientist, Life in a biology department, Managing an academic career | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What if the undergrads ran their own class with no faculty present?

Posted on October 2, 2016 by

Earlier this fall we had an excellent presentation about how to make physics classes more interactive. The legendary speaker, Carl Wieman, see this, talked about how students should think first, then get feedback, discuss, then perhaps the lecturer could move … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching, Undergraduates | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hurry! We have an opening at Wash U for an ecologist in any specialty!

Posted on October 8, 2015 by

Please share this exciting position for a tenure track ecologist of any flavor! We have a great group and are in a world clss city! Join us! Below is the advertisement.   Washington University in St. Louis Department of Biology … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral ecology, Jobs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

No, I will not give you an extension on the assignment!

Posted on September 22, 2015 by

The paper is due tomorrow and I haven’t started working on it. I just discovered that I can’t find enough references. I know the professor said to line up the references up front, but I started writing with only a … Continue reading →

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Teaching without lecturing: Exploded discussion in Class 3

Posted on September 1, 2015 by

   In discussion session on Friday the students told the TA, Omar, they wanted me to explain some of the questions that they did not understand. So I agreed and offered them one of two lectures. Either they could hear … Continue reading →

Posted in behavioral ecology, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Teach statistics the same way you teach baking a chocolate cake

Posted on August 13, 2015 by

We have wonderful undergraduates and we are failing them. We are failing in something important and I plan to fix it. That we are failing became very clear to me this past spring at their poster presentations. Generally the posters … Continue reading →

Posted in Data and analysis, Experimental design, Research, Undergraduates | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Do you need to name the scientists in intro biology?

Posted on July 16, 2015 by

Meghan Duffy on the terrific blog Dynamic Ecology asks whether we can’t just teach the concepts and not worry about the researchers. After all, there are so many things we have figured out in biology that really don’t need to … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching, The joy of teaching, Undergraduates | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments