I present them with the hope that students will be inspired to join the search for new and better models. During laboratory research with students, the lesson often requires the creation of new knowledge, a singularly exciting experience. The lesson continues, however, as that knowledge must then be communicated through oral presentations and journal articles in a manner that allows others to learn it as well. Sometimes the lesson requires facing my own lack of knowledge and developing a better understanding of a subject. Each of these disparate lessons adds to my ability to teach.
Analogies are powerful tools.
It has been said that learning is simply remembering what we already know. One of my favorite teaching techniques is the use of analogies. Too often, the essence of a technical subject is cluttered by semantics. In many cases, by stripping away jargon, the key elements of a new concept can be related to daily experience or topics previously learned. Searching for accurate analogies and determining their limitations can be a challenge, but the search process itself improves the quality of the education I can offer by letting me think outside the box.