Blake Mathys' Teaching Portfolio

Teaching Philosophy

Curriculum Vitae

Teaching Experience

Ohio Dominican University

Adjunct Professor

EcologySpring 2012

Columbus State Community College

Adjunct Professor

Introductory BiologyWinter 2012
Biological Sciences IIFall 2011

Franklin University

Adjunct Professor

Science & SocietyFall 2011, Winter 2012

Hunter College

Co-Instructor

Animal Behavior & ConservationSummer 2011

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Visiting Assistant Professor

Biodiversity & Evolution lectureSpring 2011
Biodiversity & Evolution laboratorySpring 2010, Spring 2011
Cells & Molecules lecture Fall 2009, Spring and Fall 2010
Cells & Molecules laboratoryFall 2009, Fall 2010

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Part-time Lecturer

OrnithologySummer 2010, Spring 2011
Wildlife Ecology & ConservationFall 2010

Rowan University

Adjunct Professor

Introduction to Natural ResourcesFall 2010

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Teaching Assistant

Vertebrate Zoology laboratory2005, 2007-2009
The Ecology of the Jersey Shore2008
Invertebrate Zoology laboratory2008
Ichthyology laboratory2007
General Biology 101 laboratory2004, 2006, 2009

Missouri State University

Teaching Assistant

General Biology 101 laboratory2002

Teaching Evaluation Scores

In the table below I give the averages of my student survey ratings. The first column indicates the institution, the second column is the statement that the students evaluated; the first three institutions use a 5 point scale, with 5 being highest. Columbus State uses Yes/No questions for their instructor evaluations. Rutgers University ratings are from Ornithology in the summer of 2010 and spring of 2011, and Wildlife Ecology & Conservation in fall of 2010. The data from Stockton College are derived from the four semesters of the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years. Rowan University ratings are from Introduction to Natural Resources during fall of 2010. Columbus State Community College ratings are from Biological Sciences II during fall of 2011.

Institution

Statement

Average Rating or % Responding Yes

Total Number of Student Respondents

Stockton College

"Overall, I rate this instructor as an excellent teacher"

4.44 / 5

266

Rutgers University

"I rate the teaching effectiveness of the instructor as:"

4.59 / 5

52

Rowan University

"Considering everything, evaluate this teacher's ability to teach the course"

4.00 / 5

31

Columbus State Community College

"I would recommend this instructor to other students"

100%

13

Selected Student Comments

Below are selected student comments which were anonymously written on evaluation forms at Stockton College, Rutgers University, Rowan University, and Columbus State Community College. No changes have been made except minor spelling or capitalization corrections; words in [brackets] were added to make the comment more clear. An ellipsis indicates that the portion presented was part of a longer comment.

    STOCKTON COLLEGE

  • "Blake Mathys is one of the best teachers [I] have had at Stockton. He always explains the material clearly and does his best to help his students succeed. His classes are challenging but you always come out feeling accomplished that you have learned so much."
  • "This instructor often made the subject matter interesting and fun. I would recommend him to other students."
  • "Good teacher. Tough but fair."
  • "... Always helpful. Always."
  • "Very good teacher. Explains things very clearly. Offers help regularly. Always there for questions."
  • "Blake is an amazing instructor. He gets his students involved by continuously interacting with them and making sure they participate. His sense of humor also helps students become attracted to the course. Overall, amazing teacher!"
  • "He got really into what he was teaching and made every lab enjoyable. He seemed to actually enjoy doing what he does and he's very helpful."
  • "He is very knowledgeable and helpful. Always loves to chime in while we're doing a lab to point out interesting facts and keeps us on our toes. Overall he is an excellent instructor."
  • "... Professor Mathys constantly stresses the importance of asking questions either in class, through email, or out of class meetings. Overall Professor Mathys is a great instructor & I would recommend him to any student interested in Biology."
  • "Very good professor! Always willing to help and adjust his schedule to help fit yours when you need assistance or help on a subject matter."
  • "Dr. Mathys was an excellent professor with a good sense of humor and made lab fun."

    • RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

  • "Without question the reason that this course was so great is because of Dr. Mathys. He has a love and excitement for this subject that is truly infectious. I constantly find myself calling out the names of birds when I'm getting the mail or driving in my car. He made the subject material clear and he made the class so much fun. He is extremely knowledgeable and very funny. He blends his expansive wealth of knowledge and witty humor into the perfect combination that keeps the class truly engaged. He took us on the best field trips and made the experience as a whole very enjoyable. This has been one of my absolute favorite classes that I've taken here at Rutgers, and that is a direct result of Dr. Mathys."
  • "This course is one of those few courses that sort of changes the way a person views the world...I now have a better understanding of the landscape of bird ecology and how my behavior and actions can impact them whether it be in positive or harmful ways."
  • "Dr. Mathys is a genuine asset to this college. We need more professors like him. He is approachable, always prepared, welcomes questions, and creates a very comfortable learning environment in the classroom. You should give him more classes to teach."
  • "The field trips were fun and interesting. Blake was always willing to help and answer any questions, even if they didn't pertain directly to class material. He is extremely knowledgeable and the best instructor I could have hoped to have."
  • "This is the first course where the instructor was so completely in love with the subject matter that it began to spread to me. "
  • "Dr. Mathys makes this course effective by having a hands on approach to teaching it. He's very interactive with his students and helps all along the way. The field trips allowed me to learn about various avian life in New Jersey and as a result I'll never see birds the same way again. Dr. Mathys is an exceptional professor and is what Rutgers University needs at the moment. The course and Dr. Mathys go hand in hand and I do not believe any other professor would impact its students the way Dr. Mathys has nor would they teach the course the same way."
  • "I loved the field trips and encouragement to participate. The knowledge and enthusiasm of Dr. Mathys [and our teaching assistant] demonstrated expert knowledge, professionalism and contagious enthusiasm towards this interest that seemed to turn those at first taking the subject for necessity to interested bird identifiers and involved learners during lectures."

    • ROWAN UNIVERSITY

  • "Very knowledgeable about the course material and had a lot of interesting things to talk about in regard to the topic - very good Instructor"
  • "Great teacher, good sense of humor, very informative"
  • "You can tell Dr. Mathys knows a lot about the subject and has a passion for it. He also really enjoys teaching and likes student participation..."

    • COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

  • "He is very passionate about biology."
  • "He loves what he does and knows a lot about Biology..."
  • "...he is quite amazing at teaching the material...He also challenges us to think critically."
  • "...very easy to be in class with and makes class interesting."

Updated 1 February 2012

Curriculum Vitae