Austin Sandler

Teaching

I believe students increasingly face challenges that demand creative solutions which cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. I aim to meet this demand in my teaching by mirroring my research approach. My own multidisciplinary background and experiences teaching and mentoring students, designing course materials, and studying pedagogical methods support my teaching aims. Enabling students to develop a capacity to think critically is one of my overarching goals. Achieving this goal involves facilitating active critical reasoning skills with the aid of simplified models, historical texts, scholarly publications, and meta-scrutiny of the underlying materials.

My teaching objectives, through team-based learning techniques, include a focus on non-traditional perspectives. I design my classes with open communication and collaboration at the center of the learning experience. And I facilitate participation during lectures with interactive class activities and clicker questions. I aim to develop lessons that actively engage students and help them build their technical prowess, teamwork skills, and prose. I work with students to question their assumptions while exploring how to use different models and methods to understand real world issues. My goal is to help students with critical thinking, learning skills, and problem-solving strategies. I try to imbue my students with a broad perspective on events and ideas. And I encourage students to interact with each other to promote communication and teamwork.

I am committed to fostering a multiplicity of values and beliefs, interests and experiences, and intellectual and cultural viewpoints to enrich learning and inform scholarship. I take the time to get to know my students as individuals, allowing me to foster an inclusive classroom environment. I design my classes with equity, collaboration, and inclusiveness at the center of the learning experience. I actively work in the classroom to make the issues of marginalized and underrepresented groups central educational objectives. I provide a range of lesson styles, including readings, videos, and visuals, to accommodate diverse learners. And I augment these lessons with engaging learning assessments that include lots of individual attention and feedback.

I have had the opportunity to develop and teach my own curriculum and mentor graduate teaching assistants, too. I have previous experience as a Teaching and Learning Program Associate and Teaching Assistant at the University of Maryland, and as an Adjunct Instructor at Ohio University. I am prepared to teach a variety of social science topics that span geography, economics, social epidemiology, statistics and research methods related to the human dimensions of global change, including problem-based courses that integrate systems analysis.

Classes:

University of Maryland

GEOG130 -Developing Countries (development geography) - Fall ’17

GEOG170 -Mapping our Digital World (geovisualization) - Fall ’19, ’20

GEOG202 -Intro to Human Geography - Spring ’21

GEOG330 -Society and Sustainability (ecology) - Summer ’20

GEOG332 -Economic Geography - Fall ’18

GEOG333 -Social Geography of Metropolitan Areas (urban planning) - Spring ’19, ’20, ’21

GEOG373 -Intro to Geographic Information Science - Summer ’20

Ohio University

ECON1040 -Principles of Macroeconomics - Spring ’17

Student Comments:

``Austin was patient, facilitated conversation when necessary but also allowed the long silences needed to coax out people's need to break the silence with their own opinions. I usually despise discussion classes, but this one was different––the course material required a certain level of intimate (meaning small–group setting) engagement. Austin has a nice demeanor, approachable body language, and was always on point. That's a lot for 10am on a Friday. This was a great experience and I'm actually sad it's over.''

``Austin really tried his best to get the students in our discussion to participate. It was very obvious that he wanted to be the best TA he could be, and I really appreciated that. He gave out cards in the middle of the semester so that we could give him feedback on his teaching style and the format of discussions, and then he actually changed based on our reports which I was really impressed by.''

``I think Austin is a good TA. He's knowledgeable and urges us to think more deeply about certain issues we talk about in discussion by asking questions.''

``Austin was a great TA and really helped build my knowledge on the subject and answer any questions I had about the course.''

``Austin was very friendly and started out the discussion classes well by having us meet each other with ice breakers and asking us what we wanted from the discussions.''

``Very friendly and helpful. Guided the discussion sections well and they helped me better understand the course content.''

``I really liked how [Austin] gave us a say in how to use the discussion class so it was truly a "discussion" rather than another day of lectures.''

``[Austin] was nice, direct, and made sure that students understood the material.''

``Austin was very helpful to explain things and guided me through the class.''

``I liked that [Austin] went over the assignments with great details.''

``Austin was very helpful throughout the semester and helped answer some of my lingering questions I had during the semester.''

``Quite responsive and knowledgeable.''

``Austin was extremely nice and very helpful. He also answered promptly and is easily accessible which was awesome.''

``Made discussions very useful and enjoyable!! Thanks Austin!''