Teaching Philosophy

I am a passionate about making science accessible to all audiences, and I bring a human-centered approach to my teaching. My goal is to use a variety of methods to foster an inclusive environment that reaches learners of all kinds. I excel at explaining complex concepts in simple terms. But don’t take my word for it!

Here’s a review from a former student:

“Brooke is very skilled at reading the room and gauging students' level of understanding. She is very intentional about offering positive feedback and creating a safe space for students to explore concepts, ask questions, and make mistakes!”

Brooke Jarrett at a podium. The U.S. flag flanks their left and the Maryland flag is on their right. The backdrop has a repeated pattern of the Johns Hopkins seal.

Coursework

I have conducted several invited workshops and lectures. For slides, please see my talks. I have also served as the teaching assistant of 18 courses for undergraduate- and graduate-level students, on topics including:

  • Epidemiologic Methods

  • Concepts and Methods in Infectious Diseases

  • Epidemiologic Control of Tuberculosis

  • Foundations of Social Epidemiology

  • Introduction to Microbiology

  • Data Analysis Fundamentals

COVID-19 and Public Outreach

During the pandemic, I translated the rapidly emerging science into more accessible formats. For example, in collaboration with a team of scientists, I co-wrote the open-source Coursera on COVID-19 Contact Tracing. The materials have reached more than 1.3 million learners globally and were used by health departments in every state of the USA. I also kickstarted and oversaw the Hopkins Novel Coronavirus Research Compendium’s newsletter, which curated and summarized practitioner-relevant scientific articles each week.

STEM for Youth

I also love getting kids excited about science, technology, and engineering! In partnership with my talented colleagues, I have taught courses, like “How to Build a Bicycle Rickshaw,” directed state-wide Rube Goldberg competitions for the MIT Museum, and written Science Olympiad exams in the “Disease Detective” category for high schoolers.