Ben Hall was a Scientific Teaching Fellow in 2021 while pursuing a PhD in genetics. Today, he is Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Biology at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In his free time, he enjoys playing indoor and outdoor volleyball, spending time with family, and spoiling his two dogs, Churro and Deja.
What was your favorite part of this program?
My favorite part of being a Scientific Teaching Fellow was the ability to learn about and critically think about teaching best practices with a group of highly motivated fellows led by the excellent Dr. Theisen. We were constantly encouraged to reflect on what we were learning and how we could improve student learning, which helped me leave the STF program with a much deeper appreciation for pedagogy than I ever could have hoped to obtain on my own.
What was one of the most valuable things you learned as a Fellow?
The most valuable thing I learned as a Fellow is the importance of reflecting on your teaching practice. There is always room for improvement, but it is hard to know what to change without deliberately reflecting on what went well and what could go better in the classroom, especially relying on evidence from student work wherever possible. I now spend about 5 minutes after every class session I teach to write quick reflections that will help me make improvements in the future.
What is something surprising or unexpected you experienced as a Fellow?
Something that surprised me about developing curriculum as a Fellow was the large amount of time needed to put together a thoughtful, evidence-based lesson plan. When I create classes at Carroll now, there is nowhere near enough time to prepare as I would like, but having gone through the process in detail as an STF helps immensely for deciding what to prioritize when I create curriculum nowadays. It was also very helpful to realize as an STF that teaching is an iterative process: your lesson won’t be perfect the first time around, but that’s okay and you will make it better for the next time.
Learn more about Scientific Teaching Fellows.