Teaching portfolio

I have a teaching experience of about 17 years. Within this 17 years I taught all aspects in Mineralogy and Petrology, but mainly metamorphic, igneous and mantle petrology. Due to the fact that my main research interests are in the same scientific area as my lectures, it was/is always possible to connect the topic of the classes with ongoing research projects for the students on a BsC, Honnor, MsC and PhD level. 

I´m using very classical teaching methods like chalc and the blackboard, but also highly suffisticated computer based modelling programs as PERPLEX etc. In the past I offered additionally to the existing classes a voluntarily lunch time seminar. That was a seminar series offered to the students attending my classes. Every week another student gave a small and briefly presentation on the topic of a international peer reviewed publication and a following discussion about the context of the publication was made within the group. The goal was to animate students to follow up the newest scientific literature and therein the importance to study it.

Different teaching concepts can be applied depending on the number of students in a course. From my experience a course with up to 15 students is ideal. That is, because I can personally interact and discuss certain topics with the students directly in the course. Another advantage is that I know the students by name and I´m able to recognize very fast if somebody is struggling with the context of the lecture. Up to 30 students in a course is still fine, because I will also remember them by name and face, but an powerfull direct face to face interaction becomes more difficult. Classes with more than 30 students has to be teached in a completely different way, because personal direct interaction is not longer possible, because I´m dealing than with a group and not longer with single individuals. Due to these circumstances I have to decide by myself how I have to teach certain classes depending on the number of students.

Another very important teaching aspect for mineralogy and petrology students is the field work, which also depends strongly on the number of students attending the class. Here, I would like to visit high grade metamorphic terrains and active volcanoes. But industry excursions, like cement factories will also be on the timetable.

In summary: My goal is to produce practical and field orientated students, which should be able to use classical and advanced mineralogical and petrological methods to create healthy scientific work on the one hand, but on the second hand they should also be able to use their mineralogical and petrological skills obtained in my courses in applied geology as well as in the industry.