Teaching record

Instructor of Record
University of Kentucky:

• ​Introductory Biology (Bio 148): Fall 2020, Spring 2021
• Research & Writing in Biology (Bio 398): Fall 2020
• Research Experience in Biology (Bio 199): Spring 2020, Spring 2021
• ​Mentored Research (Bio 395): Spring 2021

Teaching Assistant
University of Alaska Fairbanks:

• Mammalogy (Bio 425): Fall 2017
• Principles of Evolution (Bio 481): Spring 2013, Spring 2014

Ohio State University:

• Introduction to Biology for Majors (Bio 116): Spring 2012

Workshops
University of Kentucky:

• "Design for Disabilities," a lunch-and-learn workshop about accessible design for the Biology Department DEI Committee, 2021

University of Antananarivo (Madagascar):

• "Morphometrics in R," a 3-day workshop for graduate students, 2016

Alaska Summer Research Academy (project of U. Alaska Fairbanks):

• "Meet the Mammals," a 2-week mammalogy course for middle-school students in Fairbanks, Alaska

Vertical Divider

Teaching philosophy

My teaching goals are two-fold: to prepare the next generation of biologists and to train a class of life-long learners. To accomplish these goals, I use principles from constructivist teaching theory: that the student should be an active participant in the learning process, and that my role as an instructor is to create an environment and materials that facilitate reflection, problem solving, and teamwork. This philosophy is grounded in my personal experiences and in the study of pedagogical techniques that motivate students, increase retention, and improve understanding of core concepts.

Teaching evaluation scores

Introductory Biology (Fall 2020 and Spring 2021): 151 respondents
The instructor...
     Provided quality teaching: 4.77 / 5
     Was prepared for class: 4.78 / 5
     Presented material clearly: 4.50 / 5
     Provided material at an appropriate pace: 4.64 / 5
     Treated students with respect: 4.8 / 5
     Asked questions that stimulated deep thought: 4.6 / 5

Key Themes from student feedback

​Instructional Strategies, Assignments, and Feedback

• “I liked the flipped classroom process of taking notes on playplosits before class, discussing the content during class, and doing occasional homework assignments after class. I especially liked the practice exam questions and other clicker questions that she would post during class because they tested how to apply the content to real-world problems (similar to what is found on the actual exam). When answering the practice questions, I liked using the QR code to take us into the polls that recorded everyone's responses so the professor had an idea as to what she needed to spend more time on.”
• “Dr. Everson made clear real-world connections to the topics that made the class relevant and interesting. It was really helpful in keeping me engaged.”
• “She was willing to answer questions and hold office hours for those that wished to attend. The way the material was presented was in a way that could help different learning types (which I really appreciated). You could tell that she put a lot of effort into this class.”
• “Dr. Everson was very well prepared and always had a Power Point presentation ready and delivered it well and effectively. She made sure we all understood what was going on and how to use software that we would need for our research.”
• “I thought the practice exam questions that we did every class were very helpful and I wish my other classes did the same. I also like that she drew diagrams and charts with us instead of before class that way we could understand the process of drawing the images out.”

Interactions, Climate, and Engagement

• “I can tell that Dr. Everson really cares about us which is kind of rare to find with such a large intro level science course. Everything she said in class was beneficial to our learning. She provided outside examples and found ways to integrate her own research into what we were learning about. Overall, she is an amazing teacher and piqued my interest in biology.”
• “Her enthusiasm for what she was teaching made the class enjoyable. She answered any questions we had and if she didn't know the answer, she would find out for us and tell us the next class. Her reviews for the test were extremely helpful as well.”
• “Going into this class, I was expecting Dr. Everson to be a lot like my previous science professors. In the past, my professors go over information in a confusing way and are not relatable. I was shocked and very happy that this was not the case. Dr. Everson is very bubbly, and answers questions very quickly and in a way that makes sense. I really appreciated that she was willing to answer questions in class, and made it fun to go to class. She made myself and many others excited to learn about Biology.”
• “My instructor’s enthusiasm and energy helped me get excited for class. You could tell that she loves what she is teaching, which makes me interested in what we are learning.”
• “I loved her. She did an awesome job when asking questions to talk about why some people might have put certain answers so it did not make anyone feel not smart. She was also very happy and bubbly and I felt like she really wanted to be there, she put me in a better mood and made me want to learn biology.”

Organization and Clarity

• “She did a great job explaining content and answering any questions regarding the topic. She was always nice and energetic which made it easier to stay engaged during the class time. She would explain the content in different ways and provide good visuals if there was ever confusion. She was a great teacher this semester”
• “The best instructor I have had this semester by far. She was always able to explain hard material in a way that was easy and understandable.”
• “She presented the material in a variety of ways that engaged multiple ways of learning. She treated all students with respect and turned obscure topics into something relevant”
• “By far my favorite and most well organized course this semester.”

Effectiveness at Hybrid/Online Instruction

• “Professor Everson's ability to integrate the students' questions seamlessly in her lectures. She was able to talk through the questions as they came up in the zoom chat while remaining on topic or discussing the same material twice. This ability made me feel more connected to the students and lecture even without being present physically. These were by far the best lectures I received during the semester.”
• “Another thing I would like to point out was Dr. Everson's amazing attitude towards this distanced/hybrid learning environment. She did an excellent job of keeping the students in person engaged while making sure the students on zoom were participating and understanding what was happening by constantly checking in on everybody. Overall, I had a great experience with this course and it was probably my favorite because of how engaging and interesting it was.”