I believe that every student deserves the opportunity to succeed in education, especially those who have been historically underrepresented. Growing up as the child of immigrants, I was shaped by my family’s resilience, work ethic, and the challenges they overcame to create a better future. Their perseverance instilled in me a deep commitment to equity and access. Those values now guide the way I approach teaching, motivating me to foster an environment where every student feels valued, supported, and capable of reaching their potential.
I strive to create a welcoming and inclusive classroom where all students can succeed, regardless of their background or preparation. Creating inclusive, equitable, and accessible classrooms is central to my teaching philosophy. I recognize that students arrive with different backgrounds, strengths, and challenges, and I aim to meet them where they are. I design courses that build bridges for students just as my family built bridges for me. This means intentionally structuring class meetings, assignments, and assessments so that every student, whether first-generation, transfer, athlete, or working parent, has a clear path to success. My approach emphasizes clarity and transparency, with detailed learning objectives and frequent feedback so that students always know where they stand and how to improve.
Active learning is the cornerstone of my teaching. I regularly use think-pair-share, group work, and in-class activities to help students engage with difficult material and to encourage peer-to-peer learning. These strategies not only help students retain information but also create opportunities for them to practice the collaboration essential in health professions and the sciences. In my anatomy courses students often work together to identify tissues under the microscope or to reason through clinical scenarios, which reinforces their understanding while cultivating critical thinking.
I employ a wide variety of teaching methods to meet students where they learn best. Lectures include PowerPoint presentations accompanied by follow-along outlines so students can focus on concepts rather than frantic note-taking. I create drawing templates that we color-code and fill in together, and I supply highlighters and pens for anyone who needs them. We pause to make simple diagrams as a class, giving students the confidence to recreate those visuals when they study on their own. I mix in short video, some drawn from current scientific sources, others from Instagram or TikTok, to connect anatomy to the world they see every day. When news headlines relate to what we are studying, I bring them in to spark discussion. Even a random Jeopardy clue about anatomy can become a quick review moment.
To give students flexibility, I post all of each unit’s material in advance, including my completed notes and the drawings we create together. I also record short videos of myself re-explaining challenging topics so that students can review at their own pace. These color-coded notes and videos give them multiple paths to mastery and allow those who like to work ahead to set their own rhythm.
I design creative assessments that let students show understanding in multiple ways, most notably through “Not-Tests.” Students complete two each semester, together weighted like a single lecture exam to keep assessment balanced. For each Not-Test they choose a topic we have covered and explain it to someone outside the class, either a scientist without anatomy expertise or a non-scientist, using any medium they like. I share a rubric based on Bloom’s taxonomy and a few examples, but their passion and creativity drive the final product. Past projects have included infographics, songs, comics, games, poems, and even a series of memes. These assignments push students to create, evaluate, and synthesize information, deepening understanding and helping them communicate anatomy in a broader context. Rather than inflating grades, the Not-Tests maintain rigor while improving comprehension and retention of complex concepts, giving students a comprehensive and accurate way to demonstrate mastery.
Accessibility is a core principle of my teaching philosophy. I know that students do not always reach out when they need help, so I take proactive steps to engage with them. I maintain extended office hours and an open-door policy so students can drop in when questions arise, not just during scheduled times. I frequently schedule evening study sessions before major assessments to accommodate athletes, commuters, and students with jobs. During class I move around the room, checking in with groups and offering help to students who may not otherwise ask. I tell students that I do not do this to spy on them; I’ve just learned there’s a portion of your population that won’t ask me for help unless I happen to be beside them.
Each week, during the online quiz, I include reflective questions to check in on how students are doing or to ask if there is anything I can do to help them. Sometimes the questions are simply for fun, for example sharing something that made them laugh that week, to keep the mood light and to remind them that I am there for them as a person, not just as an instructor. These moments build trust and community and often reveal small adjustments I can make to support the class.
A positive and welcoming attitude is essential to sustaining that trust. I strive to create a classroom environment where questions are celebrated, mistakes are seen as part of the learning process, and students feel encouraged to take intellectual risks. I am transparent about the rigor of anatomy and I celebrate effort as much as outcome. Students notice. “Daniel is one of the best instructors I have ever had. It is clear that he cares for his students and goes out of his way to make sure his students are successful,” one wrote in a course evaluation. I also invite students to help shape the class itself. Mid-semester feedback surveys allow me to adjust pacing or revisit challenging topics, showing them that their voices matter. This flexibility helps students take ownership of their learning and fosters a collaborative classroom culture.
Teaching is an evolving practice. I regularly attend professional development workshops and national meetings such as the American Association for Anatomy to refine my methods. Recent changes, such as adding pathology modules for health students and expanding histology resources, reflect student feedback and evidence-based best practices. My ongoing interest in anatomy education research informs my classroom strategies and contributes to the broader scholarship of teaching and learning.
Ultimately, my goal is to empower students to become confident, curious learners who see anatomy not as a list of facts to memorize but as a way to understand the human body. Whether through collaborative lab work, creative projects, or open-door mentoring, I strive to create a space where every student feels that their success is my priority. When students tell me, as one recently did, that I am “possibly the most passionate college instructor I have ever had,” I take it as affirmation that the environment I work to cultivate is making a lasting impact.