My Teaching Philosophy
In keeping with Missouri S&T’s mission of instilling curiosity, creativity, and confidence in our graduates, my aspiration as a teacher is to spark students’ interest in the subject matter and then impart them with skills and resources to study and learn effectively. I strive to teach my students study skills and help them to think critically about a problem. Upon the completion of any of my courses it is my hope that the students have not only gained knowledge about the course material, but also the ability to seek out answers and use the resources available to them to pursue more in-depth study in the field independently.
Courses Taught
AE 2790: Introduction to Spacecraft Design
Introduction to basics of spacecraft design, including design requirements, subsystem definition, and vehicle design synthesis. Lab work includes design and fabrication of a small spacecraft payload that is flight tested on a high altitude balloon to 100,000 feet. Post-flight data reduction and analysis are performed.
- Semesters taught: Fall and Spring
AE 3131: Aerodynamics 1
Topics include fluid flow analysis (differential analysis, control volume analysis, and dimensional analysis), two dimensional airfoil theory, and boundary layer theory.
- Semesters taught: Fall and Spring
AE 3251: Aerospace Structures 1
An introduction to various loads on aerospace vehicles. Basic theory and analysis of typical aerospace and related vehicle structures subjected to steady loading. Bending, shear, and torsion of open and closed section beams. Design of thin-walled structures.
- Semesters taught: Fall and Spring
ME 3131: Thermofluid Mechanics 1
Topics include hydrostatics, fluid flow analysis, dimensional analysis, incompressible viscous flows, and turbomachinery. Students explore a variety of solution techniques such as control volume, differential analysis, and dimensional analysis
- Semesters taught: Fall and Summer
Teaching Methods and Approaches
I employ a variety of teaching methods to cater to diverse learning styles, including active learning days in all of my lecture courses, which include group problem solving, guided examples, and trivia quizzes. In my laboratory course, students work on a semester-long group design challenge to gain valuable technical and teamwork skills.
Student Engagement
I encourage student engagement through active learning days and hands-on group projects. I am available to students by email and hold regular office hours outside of class time.
Office Hours
I hold office hours on Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. Outside of these hours, appointments can be scheduled via email.
Professional Development
I am dedicated to continuous professional growth as an educator and attend workshops on campus throughout the semester to learn about new technologies and teaching tools. I also participate in the American Society for Engineering Education to stay current in my field and connect with others in the engineering education community.
Contact
Feel free to reach out to me at schmidtjb@mst.edu or during my office hours for any questions or clarifications.