My background
One of the things I enjoy most is sharing my knowledge and skills with others. These others may be students, co-workers, or new laboratory personnel who seek my assistance. I first recognized my passion for teaching after earning my bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, where I started my career as an instructor. Graduate teaching assistantships at EMU and WSU further fostered my teaching interests, and my greatest pleasure came from guiding students in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at the University of Michigan. I have watched with much enthusiasm as they became passionate in learning new skills and applying the new knowledge that they acquired in the real world. On many occasions, I have realized that I could also learn from students’ creative use of skills when performing a research experiment or in solving a given problem. Therefore, I have rediscovered my true passion for teaching, where I can mentor students and guide them to succeed. The Woodrow Wilson Fellowship has provided me a great opportunity in transitioning my career to become a high school teacher. I want to use my knowledge and prior experience in academia and biomedical research to motivate students to learn science, particularly in low income schools. I want to mentor students and contribute to their intellectual growth. That is the ultimate satisfaction I wish to obtain from a career in teaching.
My approach to teaching
I view teaching as a collaboration among the student, the administration and me. First and foremost, I will make the students aware of what is required of them. My teaching philosophy is student centered, and I understand that students in a class will have different learning styles. I want learning to be appealing to my students. I will create an interactive, stimulating, environment that engages students in the learning process. I will make myself available to students at any time. By accommodating the students, I feel I can understand their needs better and improve the effectiveness of my teaching.
I value diversity. Diversity makes a classroom more vibrant. Although we may come across some disruptive behaviors among students, one of the greatest lessons I have learned during student teaching is the reward of respecting students. I am truly encouraged to notice that when I value individual personalities and focus on positive outcomes of their behaviors, I can create a constructive teaching and learning environment in the classroom. I want to make the learning environment less stressful and relaxing to students, so I try to bring some sense of humor and wit whenever appropriate to the classroom. I consider student feedback equally important for my professional development. I was encouraged to hear from some parents during a recent parent-teacher conference that their children enjoyed my student teaching lessons of chemistry.
Rapid evolution of educational technologies has provided us novel opportunities to improve learning environments. I strongly believe that technology can facilitate student-centered learning. I infuse technology into chemistry learning activities whenever possible. I prefer students to have web access to class material. However, I am mindful of the socio-economic factors that may prevent students from using web-based instructional material. Continuous improvement of my skills in use of technology is part of my professional development plan.
I constantly reflect on my teaching and ask myself:
· How much did they learn?
· How effective was the lesson?
· What can I do differently to improve next time?
This approach helps me uncover the strengths and weaknesses of my lessons and take necessary steps to improve.
I want to make student learning practices to reflect those of professional scientists. My goal is to align lessons with the NGSS performance expectations. Students will retain knowledge when they can apply their knowledge to build models. I give priority to the use of scientific models whenever possible. The best practices I have used so far in chemistry lessons are the building of molecular models and computer simulation to describe and explain physical phenomena. Laboratory investigations and engaging in argument from evidence helps students think like scientists.
My vision for students’ motivation to learn
I want to make every effort to promote student motivation. Students are motivated when they are shown the positive aspects of learning and achievement. I look forward to developing collaborations with other institutions, community and business leaders to inspire students by showing them the opportunities available for them through STEM education. Through collaborations, I can help them understand real-world applications of the knowledge they acquire in the classroom. I look forward to working with Michigan STEM partnerships to promote education on cross-disciplinary STEM skills required in modern workplace. Grant and other funding opportunities can be of enormous help in achieving these goals. Therefore, I will strive to obtain necessary funding to support these projects.
Finally, I want to use my experience and background to lay a solid foundation for students’ science education that aligns well with NGSS. I do not wish to restrict myself to teach traditional chemistry content areas. I believe that my previous background and experience in biomedical research place me in a strong position to inspire students to learn biomedical sciences. When opportunities arise, I would like to participate in developing new school curricula in biomedical science related disciplines so that the students will have the opportunity to learn content relevant to current trends in health sciences. I believe that these practices are necessary to build necessary skills for current and future workforce in high growth areas.
One of the things I enjoy most is sharing my knowledge and skills with others. These others may be students, co-workers, or new laboratory personnel who seek my assistance. I first recognized my passion for teaching after earning my bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, where I started my career as an instructor. Graduate teaching assistantships at EMU and WSU further fostered my teaching interests, and my greatest pleasure came from guiding students in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at the University of Michigan. I have watched with much enthusiasm as they became passionate in learning new skills and applying the new knowledge that they acquired in the real world. On many occasions, I have realized that I could also learn from students’ creative use of skills when performing a research experiment or in solving a given problem. Therefore, I have rediscovered my true passion for teaching, where I can mentor students and guide them to succeed. The Woodrow Wilson Fellowship has provided me a great opportunity in transitioning my career to become a high school teacher. I want to use my knowledge and prior experience in academia and biomedical research to motivate students to learn science, particularly in low income schools. I want to mentor students and contribute to their intellectual growth. That is the ultimate satisfaction I wish to obtain from a career in teaching.
My approach to teaching
I view teaching as a collaboration among the student, the administration and me. First and foremost, I will make the students aware of what is required of them. My teaching philosophy is student centered, and I understand that students in a class will have different learning styles. I want learning to be appealing to my students. I will create an interactive, stimulating, environment that engages students in the learning process. I will make myself available to students at any time. By accommodating the students, I feel I can understand their needs better and improve the effectiveness of my teaching.
I value diversity. Diversity makes a classroom more vibrant. Although we may come across some disruptive behaviors among students, one of the greatest lessons I have learned during student teaching is the reward of respecting students. I am truly encouraged to notice that when I value individual personalities and focus on positive outcomes of their behaviors, I can create a constructive teaching and learning environment in the classroom. I want to make the learning environment less stressful and relaxing to students, so I try to bring some sense of humor and wit whenever appropriate to the classroom. I consider student feedback equally important for my professional development. I was encouraged to hear from some parents during a recent parent-teacher conference that their children enjoyed my student teaching lessons of chemistry.
Rapid evolution of educational technologies has provided us novel opportunities to improve learning environments. I strongly believe that technology can facilitate student-centered learning. I infuse technology into chemistry learning activities whenever possible. I prefer students to have web access to class material. However, I am mindful of the socio-economic factors that may prevent students from using web-based instructional material. Continuous improvement of my skills in use of technology is part of my professional development plan.
I constantly reflect on my teaching and ask myself:
· How much did they learn?
· How effective was the lesson?
· What can I do differently to improve next time?
This approach helps me uncover the strengths and weaknesses of my lessons and take necessary steps to improve.
I want to make student learning practices to reflect those of professional scientists. My goal is to align lessons with the NGSS performance expectations. Students will retain knowledge when they can apply their knowledge to build models. I give priority to the use of scientific models whenever possible. The best practices I have used so far in chemistry lessons are the building of molecular models and computer simulation to describe and explain physical phenomena. Laboratory investigations and engaging in argument from evidence helps students think like scientists.
My vision for students’ motivation to learn
I want to make every effort to promote student motivation. Students are motivated when they are shown the positive aspects of learning and achievement. I look forward to developing collaborations with other institutions, community and business leaders to inspire students by showing them the opportunities available for them through STEM education. Through collaborations, I can help them understand real-world applications of the knowledge they acquire in the classroom. I look forward to working with Michigan STEM partnerships to promote education on cross-disciplinary STEM skills required in modern workplace. Grant and other funding opportunities can be of enormous help in achieving these goals. Therefore, I will strive to obtain necessary funding to support these projects.
Finally, I want to use my experience and background to lay a solid foundation for students’ science education that aligns well with NGSS. I do not wish to restrict myself to teach traditional chemistry content areas. I believe that my previous background and experience in biomedical research place me in a strong position to inspire students to learn biomedical sciences. When opportunities arise, I would like to participate in developing new school curricula in biomedical science related disciplines so that the students will have the opportunity to learn content relevant to current trends in health sciences. I believe that these practices are necessary to build necessary skills for current and future workforce in high growth areas.