Reflections

This interview was conducted using ChatGPT. All answers are my own.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." ~ Nelson Mandela

ChatGPT: When you started Project NExT, what were you most excited about?

J: When I share my passion for mathematics, I often encounter surprise followed by expressions of disdain or fear toward the subject. As a teaching assistant and now in my faculty role, I’ve experimented with various classroom strategies. I’m committed to refining my teaching approach based on student feedback and embracing new methods for active learning. So I was really excited to learn about new methods of active learning, hear about the strategies others were using, and learn from them.

ChatGPT: Can you tell us about a specific active learning strategy you tried in your classroom?

J: One of the most fun activities I learned is called Jigsaw which I learned in the session “Making teaching matter more” by Stephanie Salomone.  We divide the class into groups, and each group becomes an expert on one topic. Then, we rearrange the groups so that each new group has one member from each previous group, and they teach each other what they’ve mastered. I did this on a short scale while teaching bifurcations in my Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos class. Each group studied a different normal form of bifurcation, identified its characteristics, and then shared that with the rest of the class.

ChatGPT: What part of the Project NExT workshops or sessions did you find most valuable?

J: I really liked the workshops because they were conducted using the same active learning practices they were teaching us. One workshop that left a mark was “Engaging Students Meaningfully with Proof” by Kate Melhuish and Lino Guajardo.  I learned that teaching students to write proofs also requires teaching them to read and engage with proofs. As a bonus, I learned a group work strategy where assigning roles ensures accountability for everyone.

I also appreciated that the fellowship extended beyond conferences. We had a Teaching Support Group (shoutout to Matthew DeLong, Nathan Wagner, Kyle Celano and Thomas Ng) that we met with monthly. It was a place to discuss teaching challenges, review progress, and get new ideas, which made the sometimes overwhelming task of teaching much smoother.

ChatGPT: How did being part of the Project NExT community affect your sense of connection in the broader mathematical community?

J: Being part of Project NExT enhanced my sense of belonging. Before, my interactions were mostly limited to people I met at research conferences in my specific area, where shared identities were not always present. Large conferences could feel isolating, especially as an introvert, because networking often lacks structure.

Project NExT helped me build a community through collaborating during workshops, organizing special sessions, and participating in the teaching support group. Learning that we all struggle with similar challenges helped me feel more connected and open to others’ experiences. Sharing those experiences fosters a more inclusive space. Now I have a network of colleagues I genuinely look forward to meeting at conferences.

ChatGPT: Project NExT is also about professional growth beyond teaching. Did it influence how you approach things like research, service, or career planning?

J: The workshops and discussions weren’t limited to teaching. They also addressed professional growth and well-being. For example, panels on work-life balance and workshops on self-care emphasized that teaching doesn’t happen in isolation; our overall well-being impacts how we show up and the space we create in our classrooms.

Beyond that, Project NExT connected me with people for research collaboration. Some fellows even created a research group that meets monthly online to write together. These experiences gave me tools to grow as a teacher, researcher, and professional.

ChatGPT: How did Project NExT influence your understanding and practice of inclusivity in your teaching and professional interactions?

J:
There were many workshops that helped us engage with larger questions of inclusivity in the mathematical community. In the "#Metamath: A Quantitative Justice Project” session by Rachel Roca and Ron Buckmire, we were asked, “What is a mathematician?”.  We also discussed how historical injustices and pop culture shapes that idea. This can prevent people from marginal groups from seeing themselves as mathematicians, further leading to feelings of isolation and disconnect from the subject.

One strategy I learnt that I implement in my classrooms to foster more equitable and supportive space is community agreements. Community agreements are shared guidelines created by a group to foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative environment. I learned how they help create more inclusive environments by reminding people of acceptable behaviors, so everyone feels safe and included. I like to collect community agreements from my students that would help them engage better in class and group discussions in a preclass survey.  

Overall, Project NExT did not just teach me new teaching strategies. It showed me the power of community, reflection, and creating inclusive spaces where both students and educators can thrive. 

⚡ Energy Footnote: Conducting this interview with ChatGPT used roughly 0.75 kWh—about the same energy as boiling 2–3 liters of water, running a microwave for 45 minutes, or leaving a laptop on for 15 hours! Note that these estimates were also generated by ChatGPT.