Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about and from teaching.
Cammie Curtin, G6 in Human Evolutionary Biology
Summarize your research in 2 sentences.
My dissertation research explores how social norms and institutions shape cooperation within groups. I do fieldwork in indigenous Zapotec communities of Oaxaca, Mexico, using qualitative and quantitative methods from anthropology, psychology, and economics.
What have you learned from teaching?
Broadly, teaching has enhanced my mastery of material in my field and improved my communication skills. With each semester, I have also gotten better at anticipating where students might struggle and taking active steps to help them avoid those struggles.
How did you get involved with the Bok Center?
I heard about the Bok Center Teaching Certificate and saw it as a great opportunity to strengthen my teaching skills.
What is something you learned in a Bok Seminar that you’ll use in the future?
It’s hard to choose just one thing! I’ve already incorporated many insights from the “How Students Learn” seminar, such as active learning strategies (e.g. concept mapping, prediction) and how to provide effective feedback. More recently, “Crafting a Diversity Statement” taught me the “uneven U” (a great tip for writing effective paragraphs), as well as many strategies for enhancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the classroom.
What would you say to PhD students about why they should get involved with the Bok Center?
The Bok Center offers a space to focus on the art of teaching and build your proficiency as a teacher. You’ll learn new strategies– and might learn the “why” behind strategies you’d already picked up from a more experienced TF or professor. I recommend getting involved early, so that you can take those insights and skills into the classroom and build on them through hands-on experience.
What’s a fun fact about yourself?
After college, I stepped away from academia for a couple of years to work as a pastry cook.
Have you been working with the Bok Center this year? Do you want to be featured in the Teacher-Scholar spotlight? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch!