Biology teacher Amol Patel joined the South Lakes faculty this year, bringing with him a unique teaching style.
What makes Patel’s class different? For homework, students take notes off of podcasts on Blackboard. Once class starts, there is a quick quiz, followed by students working on labs.
“There is twice as much time in class,” said Patel. “I can take advantage of the fact there are 30 eager minds in class who can help each other.”
Patel can then look over the quizzes and give individual help to the students who need it.
“My first year teaching, my students had a bad attendance record,” said Patel. “I decided to record the notes online to help them catch up. Eventually, I realized that all my students watched them to study. I’m excited about how eager students are to use technology.”
That observation eventually led him to this format. In addition to podcasts, students will use some technology such as Google documents throughout the school year. They may even get the chance to collaborate with students who don’t go to South Lakes.
Besides being tech-savvy, Patel has traveled to around the world to places like Peru, Kenya, parts of Asia and most of Europe. He’s done research before, which he tells his students about.
They have already started working on group projects, and many will be involved in the school science fair, something Patel is really excited about. Patel has seen previous students advance further in science fair competition.
Like others, Patel found his calling for teaching while considering another career field.
“In college, I wanted to be a marine biologist,” said Patel. “Eventually, I realized that I didn’t want to work in a lab collecting data. I talked to old college professors and high school teachers.”
Those discussions led him to think about teaching.
“I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. I feel like I’m giving back to the community.”