Teaching

Philosophy:

My approach to teaching is inspired by the way I learn, through communication, and active learning. My favorite comment from my evaluations is:

"... One day in particular, I walked into Mr. Lee's office hours, and he was advising a fellow student on her issues in the Physics department. After greeting me and helping me with a math problem, he returned to discussing with this student and it was really quite phenomenal to see Mr. Lee just glow with such positivity. He believed in this student's ability to succeed and she left that room, I'm sure, more secure with herself than when she walked in. Teaching is definitely more than just writing some notes on a white board, and Mr. Lee epitomizes this remark. Mr. Lee cares about his students, wants them to have a deeper understanding of the material and does a great job of conveying the materials in class." ( From Applied Linear Algebra (computation based)).

This quote encapsulates the type of instructor I strive to be. Every student is different and has lived through different experiences in their lives. To me being an effective teachers means investing in those students that need a little more help. This extra help is all dependent on what the student is struggling with, since not all struggles are related to the mathematics. This approach can be seen in the Undergraduate Research Projects I helped run regarding Polyominoes and Catalan Numbers, in Fall and Spring of 2014 respectively.

I use group work instead of quizzes to allow the students to hear new ideas and other approaches. I have used beamer combined with whiteboard to teach linear algebra. This allows me to have the theorem I am proving, keywords and results required for the proof, and the proof itself visible at the same time.

Methods:

Since my goal is that my students are actively learning I frequently use group work to allow the students to ask questions they may be to afraid to ask in class. This also gives me the ability to see actively correct common student errors through the use of leading questions. The hope is that breaking down the problems even further will allow the students to connect the ideas together so they are not memorizing as many facts. Another effective method in creating a proactive environment that I have started using recently is to have a Google document for the students to use as a forum to ask and answer questions. I am always open to new ideas especially those that incorporate technology. Such an idea that I have tried is using beamer combined with whiteboard/chalkboard to have a Theorem/Corollary/Lemma on the projector while I write the proof on the board.

Currently Teaching:

Math 180: Calculus 1

Math 181: Calculus 2

Future Teaching Ideas:

"Gamifying": Having a currency that is based on homework/quiz/exam scores that can be traded amongst students for homework help and mimic an economy. Students can use these points to submit late homework and "buy" additional services from me. These points would turn into extra points at the end of the quarter. (This idea still needs to be flushed out).

VRChat: Questioning the viability of utilizing VR software for online office hours/lectures. (Very early phases of an idea and technology dependent.)