Biology Instructor Responsibilities

Biology instructors are involved in teaching their students at high school or college level, teaching general and advanced concepts in human biology themes like anatomy, physiology, microbiology, etc., so that they are prepared to take up higher biological courses without any difficulties. They prepare the students for reaching their career goals in the field of health-care and biological sciences. They teach their students both basic and advanced courses in human biology, animal biology, microbiology, and other life science subjects.

Key Responsibilities

The main responsibility of a biological instructor is to prepare course curriculum pertaining to the student's level of understanding, create interactive course materials, deliver lecture series on prepared course material, provide career guidance pertaining to biological fields, and conduct examinations to check their student's progress. Additional responsibilities may involve a biological teacher to assist students in laboratory experiments, give additional assignments for concept clearance, prepare progress reports of final grade examinations, and handle departmental activities of the biological department.

The key responsibilities of a biological instructor comprise:

Preparing course curriculum on diverse biological science topics like biostatistics, molecular biology, physiology and anatomy, etc., and deliver lectures on the same
Preparing study material for home assignments, handouts, and test papers; evaluating student's progress reports by conducting class tests; and examining their class work, home assignments, and laboratory work
Maintaining the academic records and work progress of students by maintaining the records of attendance sheets, test reports, grade examination reports, and other essential records
Maintaining discipline in the classroom, moderating it while conducting lectures or supervising it during the tests as well as supervising the students' laboratory experiments
Advising the students on their career goals and plans, guiding them with vocational and academic field of expertise, and supervising them on their teaching, internship, or research work assignments with their undergraduate and graduate level projects
Designing interactive learning modules in biological sciences, revising their course curriculum with respect to course syllabus, and improvising on course material and method of instruction with regards to students' level of understanding
Updating their knowledge on current scientific trends, keeping records of recent developments in biological field by reading scientific magazines, participating in seminars and conferences conducted by scientific authorities, and getting involved in scientific discussions with colleagues and other persons from the scientific community
Gathering relevant study materials and supplies for instructional purposes, keeping a list of textbooks and laboratory equipment requirements, obtaining the same before the commencement of lecture and/or practicals, and providing reference texts / bibliographies to the students for external studying assistance
Coordinating with other professors/instructors for any issues regarding time schedule or instructional assistance, and sorting the same before commencement of the lecture
Collaborating with other biological instructors for resolving any teaching issues, research assistance, or other academic issues related to the field of biology
Conducting research in any biological field of interest, publishing the findings in professional/scientific journals, magazines, etc., if possible, and writing grant proposals for raising funds for external research opportunity (optional)
Participating in departmental activities like campus fairs, community events, assisting recruitment head in carrying out the process of students registration, recruitment, and placement activities, counseling student organizations, administering departmental proceedings, maintaining departmental records and documents, and serving as departmental head if the need arises
Assisting in conducting regulatory activities like compiling all academic and administrative records of students' registration for administrative purposes and deal with educational committees that handle academic and departmental issues, and insurance policies for the same

Required Qualifications and Skills

The basic qualification required for starting a career as a biological instructor is a bachelor's or a master's degree in biological sciences or in any other field related to biology or education. Also, they must possess the teaching license or a certificate from the respective state authorities to be eligible for teaching in that particular state, though in some private institutes of some states teaching license is not required, and teachers are hired only on the basis of their bachelor's degree certificate.

Apart from educational qualifications, a hands-on experience in teaching is considered for the post of biological instructor. Most of the candidates applying for this post do complete their student-teaching program along with a bachelor's degree program, so that they stand more chances of finding a better opportunity.

Along with the required qualifications, a biology instructor must possess certain skills like oral, verbal, and written communication skills for communicating and instructing the students, scientific and analytical abilities for implementing scientific rules and methodologies in problem solving and active learning skills for using the teaching/instructional methods effectively. Apart from this, other skills required for facilitating instructional methods comprise monitoring, judgment and decision making skills, time management, coordination, etc., which aide the teaching abilities of a biological instructor.

Salary Compensation

The average estimated salary of a biological instructor falls in the range of $35,000 to $65,000 annually. The work profile of a biological instructor is very vast, and hence the basic average salary may differ from the estimated one based on biological subjects and work location.

Due to the variety of subjects included under this profile, the scope of growth in this field is quite varied. A biological instructor has to merge biological subjects and teaching together, which may add on his responsibilities. So if you wish to start your career in this profile, it is suggested that you have a thorough look on the duties and responsibilities of a biological instructor for better reference.