Approaches to Biology Teaching and Learning: Understanding the Wrong Answers - Teaching toward Conceptual Change

“Good luck on your first day as an assistant professor, Dr. Tanner! Have a great class! ” On the wall above my desk, these words scream out from an otherwise encouraging note that is adorned with many exclamation points. This note has hung on my wall since my very first day as an Assistant Professor of Biology. As I was charging off to teach my first class, a senior faculty member who had been on my hiring committee slipped this note under my office door. In mo-ments of pause years later, I still stare up at that note and breathe a sigh of relief that I had much more than luck to guide me on my first day as a college-level teacher. Al-though I continue to have much to learn—as all of us do no matter the number of years of teaching experience—I did arrive at the university with both formal and informal train-ing in science education. I had had plenty of exposure t