Kayla Haberman

Spring 2025 Winner

Kayla’s teaching philosophy centers on cultivating curiosity, building confidence, and creating inclusive environments where students can thrive. She views teaching as a sacred act of service and mentorship, deeply rooted in her faith and belief in each student’s unique potential. Her approach is grounded in compassion, community-building, and evidence-based practices that support both academic and personal transformation. By fostering a culture of inquiry and support, she aims to empower students to grow intellectually and emotionally.

In the classroom, Kayla employs Socratic dialogue, scaffolded assignments, and collaborative projects to promote critical thinking and peer engagement. Her Microbiology course at Baylor exemplifies this approach through the Gram stain activity, which she uses to guide students from uncertainty to confident scientific inquiry. She scaffolds the learning experience by introducing theory, demonstrating procedures, and encouraging interpretation, helping students build independence and self-efficacy. Her teaching methods are designed to transform hesitation into mastery through structure, collaboration, and active learning.

Beyond the classroom, Kayla extends her philosophy through mentorship, leadership, and public engagement. She supports students in research settings by normalizing failure, sharing personal experiences, and fostering resilience. Her mentorship has helped students evolve into confident researchers and communicators, as seen in her work with the Taube Lab and the PYPhD program. Leadership roles in graduate organizations have further honed her skills in inclusive facilitation and event coordination. Kayla’s commitment to reflection, growth, and lifelong learning ensures that her teaching continues to evolve, inspiring students to become thoughtful, empowered contributors to their communities.

What Students Say

From the moment I met Kayla, I knew I was going to receive an excellent education—from her incredible leadership to her ability to explain the hands-on material clearly. Her love of science and microbiology is contagious, as her excitement radiated through the classroom every day. She was more than just my lab instructor; she was a mentor that made time for each student’s needs and deeply cared about our success in her class and outside of it.