Elizabeth A. Devore
“Teaching is a performative act... Teachers are not performers in the traditional sense of the word in that our work is not meant to be a spectacle. Yet it is meant to serve as a catalyst that calls everyone to become more and more engaged, to become active participants in learning.” - Bell Hooks
I have served as a graduate teaching assistant for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Auburn University since I started graduate school in spring 2014. I was a lab TA for eight semesters - working in the circuit analysis (ELEC 2110) and introduction to electrical engineering (ENGR 1110) labs. Being a lab TA allowed me to gain experience instructing others in small group and individual settings. Teaching the fundamental principles in these courses through hands on experiments and equipment required me to garner further understanding of the topics, elements, and instrumentation. Further, for the circuit analysis labs, I was responsible for the revision of the lab manuals in order to further clarify the material and instructions to students. Copies of these lab manuals may be found here.
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I served as instructor of record for the Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering (ELEC 3810) course at Auburn University for thirteen semesters. Lecturing to a larger group of students, particularly those in disciplines outside of electrical engineering, was a challenge that provided many lessons to continuously improve my abilities as an instructor. By using practical examples and analogies that pertain to other engineering disciplines (such as mechanical), I was able to further my ability to relay information to different audiences. Teaching this course also pushed me to learn more about educational theories, methods, and tools to be a better teacher. As a result, I've completed multiple education courses and earned my graduate certificate in College & University Teaching from Auburn University in December 2019.
Read more about my teaching philosophy, course and lesson planning, and evaluations and observations below.