Teaching students can be both the most rewarding experience and the most difficult experience at the same time. The first time I learned to ride a bike, I learned by doing it. The second time, after having completely forgotten after years of not doing it, I learned by getting back on. Over, and over again, as I repeatedly fell off as a grown adult.
In mathematics, similar to riding a bike, I believe that students learn best by doing the math. In order to facilitate student learning through doing mathematics, there must be an emphasis on creating useful and interesting activities. Similar to my experience trying to learn to ride a bike again, these activities must capture the students' attention, give room for the students to make mistakes, but to also give them the opportunity to learn from that failure in a safe setting. Watching students overcome the mistakes and believe in themselves and their ability to do math is the reward to creating the right activities. Creating those activities in a way that doesn't discourage already math-adverse students, or even students in upper level courses that believe they are just sneaking through, is the difficult part. While there will always be a place for a well-prepared and measured amount of lecturing, inserting these activities is key in helping students reinforce ideas.
For the courses I have taught at UA, I have been responsible for writing exams and homework, grading, holding office hours, interacting with students through online homework platforms such as MyMathLab, Webassign, and Launchpad and also through online conferencing using Zoom.
Not currently teaching.
(Spring 2019) TA for Josh Levine. Geometric Algorithms (CSC 537), a mixed undergraduate and graduate course.
(Spring 2019) Supplemental Instructor for Calculus 1.
(Fall 2018 - Spring 2019) Super TA for Rob Indik. Numerical Analysis (575A, B), a core Applied Math sequence for first year graduate students.
(Fall 2018) Instructor of Record. Precalculus (120R).
(Summer 2018) TA for Kerima Ratnayaka. Intro to Statistics and Biostatistics (263), online format.
(Spring 2018) Super TA for Ted Laetsch. Intro to Proofs (323).
(Spring 2018) Instructor of Record. Intro to Applied Statistics (163).
(Fall 2017) Instructor of Record. Intro to Applied Statistics (163).
(Fall 2017) TA for Guadalupe Lozano, funded by research grant. Problem Solving in Precalculus (course was at Pima Community College).
(Spring 2017) TA for Alan Newell. Intro to Differential Equations (254).
(Fall 2016) Instructor of Record. College Algebra (112)
I taught a college algebra course for three semesters at NAU while working on some post-graduate studies in pure mathematics. During this course, I was required to give interactive lectures, both by myself and with a co-teacher, hold office hours, work in the computer lab, and prepare class time activities. I also helped redesign the course after my first semester teaching it.
During the summers of 2015 and 2016, I taught the same course in a small-class environment to Dorrance Scholarship students.