by Caroline Crocker | Oct 28, 2025 | Science, Teaching
It was time to tackle the reproductive system—including sex. The textbook started with external anatomy, but I suspected the students would know this. I elected to avoid the guffaws that would accompany the labeling of a penis on the screen. Instead, starting with the...
by Caroline Crocker | Oct 21, 2025 | Science, Teaching
The following semester at NVCC, I taught Bio 102, and we came to the lab on the excretory system, which produces urine. After locating the fetal pig’s kidneys, bladder, and other parts of the system, the students had the opportunity to experiment on themselves. ...
by Caroline Crocker | Oct 14, 2025 | Science, Teaching
We were nearing the end of Bio 101. I was painfully aware that many students had not yet grasped the basic concepts of the course, so decided to make one last attempt to help them do so, while also making it possible for them to raise their grade. My Offer “I want to...
by Caroline Crocker | Oct 7, 2025 | Science, Teaching
Welcome to the fourth in my series of blogs on teaching at NVCC and GMU. The study of genetics involved mathematics, which is never a favorite. But I knew that it was personal enough to capture student interest. In the lab, after counting kernels of corn (not an...
by Caroline Crocker | Sep 30, 2025 | Science, Teaching
Enjoy this, the third in a series of posts about teaching at GMU and NVCC. In researching how to teach effectively, I now focused on learning styles. I was sure that I would need to cater to these. Diagrams and pictures on the PowerPoint slides would help the visual...
by Caroline Crocker | Sep 23, 2025 | Science, Teaching
Here follows the second installment of my series on my experience as a biology professor at NVCC and GMU. How Hard Should it Be? It was time for the first exam. Since many students didn’t take notes, I figured the material was probably too easy for them. I carefully...
