Paul A. Griffin

My Teaching Philosophy

Department of Cellular Biology
634 Biological Sciences Building
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602

Contact information:
e-mail: paulgrif@uga.edu
I view being a teacher as an unique opportunity to be part of the development of a young person’s life. When I look back over my life both personally and academically I find that each milestone is highlighted by a realization brought about by the influence of someone whom I have I have been working with. It is these points in my life that I view as turning points in the development of the person I have become today.

I feel that the most important role that I can play as a teacher is to be a source of experience for my students and to use this experience to enable them to fulfill their dreams. Science is a highly technical field of study and thus provides students with a strong academic background in which they are prepared for a number of different career choices. I have often observed that this poses a problem to most students because they can’t seem to choose a specific path. I like to use my position as a teacher to point them towards possible career choices that are available to them. Traditionally science majors move onto the health field or research, both of which require additional professional training after their undergraduate degrees. Since this is the case most students feel overwhelmed about their upcoming decisions and are often scared that they are going to make the right decision. I use my experience to show the students what lies ahead of them for the particular career they want to follow and thus help them to understand what will be expected of them in the future. I like being able to help students realize their dreams and I want to a positive part of their lives. Sometimes being a teacher is more than just lecturing and relaying subject information. I like to think of teaching as a form of mentoring in which I can help students be prepared for the next phase of their lives both academically and personally.