The Art of Teaching

As teachers, we are a trick audience. Yes, we love to learn and our entire profession is centered around transferring content and skills to our students. While that sounds simple, anyone who has ever tried to teach a group of youth knows that it is an art to truly educate someone. During this program, I have learned loads about elephants, biology, animal behavior, research skills, conservation efforts and domestication vs. captivating. AND... I can't help but notice the art of teaching by the Think Elephant International staff. They all have a variety of strengths and skills coupled with an intense passion to thwart the impending extinction of wild Asian Elephants.
So, because I am a science teacher, I feel it is important to feature another one of my teachers this week.

Who? Lisa Barrett
From? Pottstown, PA (suburb of Philadelphia)
Undergraduate Degree: University of Michigan
Degree: Evolutionary Anthropology
Additional education: Semester abroad in London
Q: How did you learn about TEI and why did you decide to move to Thailand to work with them?
A: I heard about TEI from a psychology lab instructor who had done some work with Dr. Plotnick at another university. Josh sent an e-mail to her asking if she knew of any students who might be interesting in working for TEI and she passed the information on to me.
I decided to take the job because of the combination of the work with elephants (one of my favorite animals) and my dream was to research animal cognition. I also liked the education component. In college, I worked at an after-school program and I really liked working with kids.
Q: What personal and professional goals did you hope to gain/ have you gained from working with TEI?
A: I really wanted the opportunity to work through the research process from start to finish, redesign and retrial. I also wanted to work in a university research  setting in orderb to gain skills in publication.
My biggest surprise has been getting to work with Earthwatch Volunteers.
I have learned a ton about research, but mostly I have developed my ability to interact with many different types of people. Living in Thailand has also taught me a lot about going with the flow, being patient and understanding people, culture and elephants.