Completed as part of the Columbia University Center for Teaching and Learning’s Teaching Development Program: Advanced Track
Annotated Syllabus:
The following syllabus was completed as part of my application to the GSAS teaching scholars program. It appeared on my Courseworks page in much the same fashion. As an exercise in educational development I’ve annotated it below to better explain some of the choices I made throughout the design process.
Evidence of effective practice:
I’ve excerpted the following reviews from my TA evaluations over the last few years, and will update with further feedback as available.
Earth’s Environmental Systems: The Life System – Spring 2023
” All strengths, no weaknesses. Bennett is the perfect balance of serious and lighthearted. He is great at keeping our lab section on track and informed, but he is also a very funny guy which really helps to bring up the vibe after some very grim discussion sections. He is a fair grader and I have never had an issue with his grading policies. Bennett studies dinosaurs and their tracks for the most part, but he was able to answer questions on topics far outside of that field with ease. Any issues in the labs or reports were in their creation (not his fault), but he was very understanding of these issues and would return points lost if there was good reason (miscommunication on lab report documents, technology issues, etc.). Phenomenal TA. I cannot praise him enough. “
” Bennett Slibeck is the best TA I’ve ever had. He was engaging during lab sessions, clear with with grading expectations, and clear and timely with his feedback on assignments. “
Dinosaurs and the History of Life: Lab Section – Fall 2022
” Bennett was an excellent TA who explained the instructions for each lab very clearly. He was always available for questions during lab and outside through email, in which he responded promptly. I really appreciate that he was a fair grader and gave many comments on how we could improve our assignments. My only suggestion for improvement was that I wish we could have gotten our assignments graded with comments a bit sooner than we did, however I understand that it was a big class and must have been a lot of work. “
” Bennett is awesome. He’s super responsive to e-mails and always does a good job of answering questions and clarifying points.”
” Bennett always responded quickly and cares about his students. very kind.”
” Bennett was always super helpful and willing to answer sometimes tedious questions. He is very good at explaining answers to questions and I like his approach as a TA.”
NB: Between these two classes I made a concerted effort to increase the speed at which I got feedback to students, spurred in part by some of the comments here. While kind course evaluations are nice, those that identify areas for improvement are often just as, if not more, valuable in informing my ongoing practice.
Formal Teaching Observations:
Formal teaching observations have been vital to my development as an educator. I was first observed while leading a journal club for the CIRTL network on the use of assessment as a tool for learning, rather than a test of learning. In pre- and post-session meetings with a Teaching Observation Fellow I learned that it is often not what you stress about that hinders learning in the classroom, but the things you forget. In fact, it seemed to me that the things I was most concerned about before the session were the areas I invested energy into preparing for. What made having the observer so valuable, was being able to here student-perspective feedback from a peer, especially in a detailed and non-threatening manner. The full text of my teaching observation is posted below.
My second experience with a peer observer was during a professional development session I led as a Lead Teaching Fellow. The workshop centered on developing an aspirational professional identity, and then setting out to make a teaching signature, an individualized plan for becoming more fully yourself in the classroom. This observation was done by another Lead Teaching Fellow, who gave the following feedback:
“I wanted to take a moment to commend Bennett for the fantastic job he did with the ‘Developing your Teaching Signature’ workshop. From the start, he created a comfortable and engaging atmosphere, making everyone feel at ease, even when the room was unexpectedly double-booked. Bennet handled the situation with grace and adaptability, ensuring the session moved forward smoothly without missing a beat.
What stood out to me was his creative and thoughtful approach to getting us to reflect on our teaching styles. Asking us to draw ourselves was such a youthful, innovative exercise—something I’ve never encountered before during a workshop! It really made me think deeply about how I see myself as a teacher (visually), and it brought out some unexpected insights in a way that was fun and refreshing. It was also very fun to see how others view themselves as an educator.
The session was incredibly useful, and I walked away with two specific takeaways that I know will significantly shape how I approach my teaching going forward. Overall, the workshop struck a perfect balance between being reflective, informative, and inspiring. Thank you, Bennett, for facilitating such an engaging and memorable experience!”
Formal Teaching Experience:
2025 – Instructor of Record – Columbia Teaching Scholar’s Program, EESC 3500: Mass Extinctions – Death and Rebirth in the Fossil Record
- Developed and taught an interdisciplinary course for intermediate level college undergraduates, including lecture material, problem sets, and field trip guides.
2024 – Field Trip Co-Leader – Colorado Plateau Field Trip for the ICDP Science Advisory Committee
- Led a fieldtrip stop for panel of scientific experts from major global universities and government organizations.
2023 – Graduate Student Mentor – LDEO Summer Internships
- Mentored undergraduate researcher, meeting weekly to provide academic and career advice.
2023 – Section Leader / Instructional Teaching Assistant – EESC 2300: Earth’s Environmental Systems: The Life System (Co-Listed as Environmental & Evolutionary Biology II)
- Ran a fifteen student lab section for intermediate class in ecology and evolutionary biology. Prepped and delivered presentations, moderated discussions, and provided weekly feedback on lab assignments.
2022 – Mentorship Program Coordinator – LDEO Summer Internships
- Organized the graduate student mentor program, connecting graduate students with 1-3 interns and providing training and resources for navigating mentor/mentee relationships.
2022, 2021 – Section Leader / Instructional Teaching Assistant – EESC 1400: Dinosaurs and the History of Life
- Ran a twenty student lab section for an introductory earth science class serving predominately non-majors. Prepped and delivered presentations, provided weekly feedback on assignments, graded term papers, and led a fieldtrip to the American Museum of Natural History.