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Teaching statementI love teaching economics, and consider my role as an instructor a very important responsibility. I love teaching because it is great to watch students feel the accomplishment of grasping economic ideas that often represent a new way of thinking about the world. I believe teaching economics is an important responsibility because understanding economics will improve my students' potential for success, while making them more informed and engaged citizens. For these reasons, I am always actively working to improve my teaching skills.
I attended EconEd in Denver, CO in October of 2014 to learn different techniques from high-achieving instructors from around the world such as Alex Tabarrok and Justin Wolfers. I also actively seek feedback from my students throughout the semester in order to make sure they are learning key concepts, and enjoying the class. EconEd introduced me to a variety of new resources such as interesting YouTube videos that explain economic concepts in exciting ways, while talking to students has directed me to points of misunderstanding, so I can go over certain concepts more carefully using a variety of techniques. I have experimented with different techniques such as using power point presentations, videos, newspaper articles, and using the board. I have found that doing too much of any one technique tends to bore students, and have found that mixing things up can really keep students engaged. Two particular strategies I have found particularly useful are using historical and current events as examples, and using my experiences as an energy analyst as examples. These strategies convince students that economics can help them be more successful in their careers, and become more informed and engaged citizens. I also attribute some of my teaching success to my work as tutor. I was an economics, mathematics, and Spanish tutor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and have continued tutoring mathematics at a local shelter. Tutoring generally involves one-on-one interaction with students, so it has helped me understand different student learning types. I try to bring these experiences to the table as a college instructor. |
Evaluations &
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FIN 3520 -- Financial Markets and Institutions, Fall 2014
Course Quality: 4.35/5.00 Department Average: 3.95/5.00 Instructor Quality: 4.54/5.00 Department Average: 3.96/5.00 "For being his first class, Gavin has done an amazing job! He brings so much outside, real-world experience to the class that I haven't been able to have in most of my other courses. The way he presents the course has helped me succeed in understanding the topics." Link to teaching evaluation data. ECON 1010 -- Principles of Macroeconomics, Spring 2015 Course Quality: 4.41/5.00 Department Average: 4.09/5.00 Instructor Quality: 4.59/5.00 Department Average: 4.14/5.00 "I loved when Gavin brought in real evidence from current or near-current sources of information. He really allowed the class to see macroeconomics applied to the real world and introduced me to several credible sources I had never heard of. I learned a lot in this course and am excited to take Micro next semester. I hope to have Gavin as an instructor again before I graduate." Link to teaching evaluation data. ECON 4400 -- Environmental Economics, Fall 2015 Course Quality: 4.88/5.00 Department Average: 4.12/5.00 Instructor Quality: 4.88/5.00 Department Average: 4.19/5.00 "This was a great class. I learned applicable skills and the instruction was clear and the coursework was challenging. Gavin Roberts is a great professor who I would highly recommend to future students." Link to teaching evaluation data. |
Teaching Awards
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Best Graduate Student Teaching Award, Department of Economics and Finance, University of Wyoming, 2014/2015 Academic Year.
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