Jasmine Kidwell

Fall 2025 Winner

Jasmine Kidwell’s teaching philosophy focuses on building student self-efficacy, confidence, and belonging in technical Geographic Information Systems (GIS) courses. Teaching students from diverse disciplines and varied technical backgrounds, she fosters an inclusive, low-stress environment where mistakes are treated as learning opportunities. Her approach combines hands-on, project-based learning with real-world applications from her background in archaeology and environmental resource management, utilizing guided demonstrations and individualized feedback to build practical competence and a growth mindset. MEnotr Dr. Rebecca Taormina writes, "Jasmine has been the driving force behind the structure and success of our GIS laboratory... Her ability to translate complex geospatial concepts into approachable, applied learning experiences is remarkable. Students consistently leave her lab sections not only understanding the technical skills required for GIS, but also feeling confident in their ability to apply those skills independently."

Kidwell continually refines her teaching through targeted professional development. As an active member of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), she has completed workshops on promoting equity by exposing the hidden curriculum, integrating authentic datasets with tools like PolarPASS, and using adaptive teaching strategies. She also attends the annual ESRI User Conference and integrates multi-modal resources from Carleton College’s Science Education Resource Center (SERC) to keep her curriculum rigorous, accessible, and aligned with industry standards.

What Students Say

As an international student living alone with my three-year-old daughter, the first few weeks of classes were very overwhelming, but my first class with Miss Jasmine changed everything... Our conversation eased every anxiety I had, and the classroom became very relaxing and easy for me to learn... I feel like any course taught here at Baylor that has TAs like Miss Jasmine has immense potential for producing excellent students of which I am a living proof.