Scott j. Demel

My interest in anthropology and archaeology has stemmed from a lifetime of exploring fields, reading, and being an observer of the world around me. Nearly everyone has an innate interest and curiosity about the past, about human history, about the human condition. I have devoted my life to learning more about these issues and to sharing that knowledge with everyone in my path. As a teacher, I explore these anthropological issues through interactive discourse and real world examples that students can relate to, thus enabling them to first comprehend an issue at a smaller, tangible scale, then incorporating it into the bigger picture. I use a holistic approach in teaching that allows me to expose students to multiple disciplines, various perspectives, and opposing sides of an issue, and assisting them in understanding similarities and differences among us. By embracing diversity, and exploring individual backgrounds and experiences, students learn how culture influences behavior and adaptive strategies in a multitude of environments. I want students to grasp concepts from a perspective that they are comfortable with and can relate to.

As a college professor it is critical to provide a learning environment which is interactive, stimulating, that keeps up with advances in the discipline, and that utilizes modern technology. While I expect students to learn and digest course materials, I want them to absorb it in such a way as to be individually meaningful. My instructional strategies allow students to understand the major concepts, but also to afford the opportunity to explore topics of personal intellectual interest. They are encouraged to form opinions, question assumptions and conclusions, and to express ideas both verbally and in writing. Since not all students have the same background, learning abilities, communication skills, or motivations, I find it helpful to offer portions of the course materials in various mediums to stimulate discussion and to aid in the learning process. For example, during the pandemic I created several short and fun videos on how to sharpen your trowel, and how to conduct a shovel probe. Students are encouraged to utilize online mediums and other forms of modern technology to facilitate their learning, to conduct research, analyze data, and compile the information into a useable and shareable format.

I have been successful in increasing the extent and quality of student participation by involving students in discussions during lecture, by randomly questioning them as we move through the material, by utilizing visual aids (e.g. videos, PowerPoints, web content) and hands-on material culture, and by using real-life experiences and in-class simulations such as flintknapping demonstrations. I am a proponent of experiential learning and use that methodology throughout my courses. Although tangents of individual interest are encouraged in some assignments, group projects foster communication skills and enable students to learn team building and cooperation. By using testing methods, which focus on writing skills rather that strictly memory, students will also learn to synthesize their thoughts and be aware of their audience.

Without overwhelming them, I fully expect all students to keep up with, and be able to synthesize all reading assignments. I also believe students should have an opportunity with some assignments to relate these to their individual lives and experiences and to have the chance to revise and edit these, so that there can be a meaningful product, which can be shared with others. An assignment that accomplishes this blend of learning with daily life is for students to summarize articles or personal experiences related to the topic at hand. I also believe that students should become involved in related professional and amateur organizations, be willing to volunteer their time, and be encouraged to take additional courses and field schools.

It is important for students to have an instructor that is supportive of individual interests and is accessible. It is also useful for students to have a format in which they can convey their questions and comments. Discussion sections, online chat rooms, and email can pick up where office hours leave off.

In summary, my goal as a teacher is to share my devotion to anthropology and to investigating the human past and present, to foster student’s critical thinking, reading, and writing skills, and to help them to understand and appreciate cultural differences, environmental influences, behaviors, attitudes, ethics, and values in their daily lives.