The CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program is a  CIRTL@UArizona program that allows postdocs to earn a teaching certificate in two semesters. This program combines training in evidence-based teaching and an intensive, short-term co-teaching project with a faculty mentor (3-4 weeks) to practice these skills in a collaborative, supportive environment.

SEMESTER 1: Prepare & plan

• Completed a CIRTL Online Course (MOOC) - An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching, focused on active learning, formative assessment, and inclusive classroom strategies.

• Participated in a CIRTL workshop, 'Effective Assessment Strategies for Large Undergraduate Courses', to explore core assessment challenges in large courses and their impact on learning; a suite of scalable strategies, including authentic assessments and efficient feedback models; and to construct a concrete plan to implement one new strategy in your own context.

• Identified a co-teaching opportunity in the course 'Environment Policy-PA/POL/RNR/HWRS 481' with faculty co-teaching mentor Dr. Elizabeth Baldwin, Associate Professor, School of Government & Public Policy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.

• Collaboratively developed a detailed co-teaching plan, including learning objectives, module topics, instructional strategies, and student assessment methods.
  
  

SEMESTER 2: Teach & reflect

• Observed lead instructor for sixteen weeks to understand classroom dynamics, content pacing, and student engagement strategies.

• Wrote reflective teaching journals based on classroom experience and weekly meetings with a mentor.

• Co-taught the course 'Environment Policy -PA/POL/RNR/HWRS 481' in Spring 2026 for three weeks, designed and delivered original lectures, implemented active learning strategies, responded to student questions, and provided formative and summative feedback.

• Developed and graded assignments aligned with course outcomes and used student evaluations to reflect on teaching effectiveness.

Goals:

I had three main goals for participating in the CIRTL Postdoc Pathway Program 2025-2026:

1. Strengthen evidence-based and inclusive teaching practices: Improve my classroom teaching skills by applying evidence-based and inclusive pedagogical strategies that enhance student engagement, support diverse learning needs, and foster active participation.

2. Build confidence in course delivery and student interaction: Develop the ability to effectively address and resolve student questions related to the course content, while creating an interactive learning environment that encourages critical thinking and open communication.

3. Deepen subject mastery through teaching experience: Expand my content knowledge and practical experience in the subject I teach by engaging in reflective practice, curriculum development, and active learning approaches that reinforce both student learning and my own expertise.

Teaching Experience: 

Co-Instructor, 'Environment Policy-PA/POL/RNR/HWRS 481' 

CIRTL Pathways Program, The University of Arizona

Semester: Spring 2026

• Co-taught a course 'Environment Policy-PA/POL/RNR/HWRS 481': Environmental problems like climate change are among the most pressing problems that society faces today. For some environmental problems, we lack sufficient political will to enact effective policies. For other problems, we lack sufficient experience to identify which policies are likely to be most effective. In this course, we reviewed the main “policy tools” used to address environmental problems, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, and experience with each. Throughout the course, we examined recurring and cross-cutting themes, including diverse perspectives on environmental issues; the role of markets in addressing environmental problems; the role of citizens and social movements in pushing for environmental policy change; and justice concerns surrounding the common intersection of environmental problems with socioeconomic status.

• Developed and delivered modules on Transboundary environmental policy, tailored for students from diverse academic backgrounds.

• Led interactive lectures and discussions on transboundary water governance and politics in South Asia.

• Taught core water conflict databases including:

  • Water Conflict Chronology Database

  • Transboundary Freshwater Diplomacy Database

• Implemented a Flipped Classroom Approach for Deeper Engagement: I posted readings on D2L one week in advance and opened class with five-minute essays as formative assessments, enabling students to arrive prepared and allowing class time to be devoted to discussion, inquiry, and analysis rather than passive content delivery.

• Used Stakeholder Simulations to Develop Perspective-Taking Skills: I designed and facilitated an Indus Waters Treaty stakeholder worksheet in which students analyzed transboundary water conflicts from multiple actor perspectives, helping them appreciate the legal, political, and environmental complexity of real-world governance challenges.

• Led a Comprehensive Moot Court Simulation on Transboundary Water Law: I planned and executed an Indus Basin Moot Court Simulation in which students debated whether the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty should be renegotiated — providing structured roles, individual and group worksheets, and evidence-based argumentation as tools for applied, collaborative learning.

As a Co-Instructor in the Spring 2026 CIRTL Pathways Program at the University of Arizona, I engaged in consistent post-class reflections and consultations with co- teaching mentor Dr. Elizabeth Baldwin and colleague Dr. Minwoo Ahn, using their feedback to improve my lesson structure, assessment design, facilitation skills, and timing — modeling the reflective practitioner approach at the heart of CIRTL. Across the semester, I cultivated a teaching philosophy grounded in active learning, inclusive participation, and structured inquiry — using formative assessments, discussion questions, role-based activities, and debriefs to ensure students were not just receiving information, but constructing and applying knowledge.

Teaching Statement

I bring three objectives to the classroom: to explain key concepts in political science, international relations, and environmental politics, to evaluate evidence from primary and secondary sources, and to construct persuasive arguments about complex policy problems. For instance, in a course on environmental policy and water conflict, students should be able to identify different policy tools, compare stakeholder interests, and explain why some conflicts require collaborative rather than purely legal or coercive solutions. I make these learning objectives explicit in my syllabus, repeat them at the beginning of major units, and connect each class activity to a specific skill. For example, before a simulation, I explain whether the goal is to understand stakeholder positions, practice evidence-based argumentation, or evaluate policy tradeoffs. At the end of class, I return to these goals so students can see how the activity advanced their learning.

These objectives guide my student-centered approach to teaching, which combines active learning, evidence-based analysis, structured discussion, and reflective writing. My first teaching goal is to help students actively engage with course material through evidence, discussion, writing, and applied exercises. In political science courses, this means helping students examine policy and security questions from empirical, normative, comparative, and interdisciplinary perspectives. 

In addition, I assess student learning through both formative and summative methods. My formative assessments include short reading quizzes, five-minute reflection essays, discussion questions, and informal checks for understanding during class. These low-stakes activities help me see whether students understand the core concepts before we move to more complex applications. My summative assessments include reflection papers, debates, simulations, and final essays in which students synthesize evidence and develop original arguments. In these assignments, I evaluate not only factual accuracy but also analytical clarity, use of evidence, engagement with alternative perspectives, and the ability to communicate a persuasive argument.

To support active and participatory learning, I bring students into direct engagement with primary sources before turning to secondary literature. Simulations, debates, role-playing, and thought experiments are a regular part of my classes. I have seen the value of this approach in my co-teaching of the Environmental Policy course at the University of Arizona. In one class session, I introduced students to a global water conflict database and asked them to analyze how water has been used in conflicts across regions, time periods, and conflict types. This activity helped students move from abstract discussion to evidence-based analysis. Students could identify patterns, ask questions about the data, and connect empirical evidence to broader debates about environmental security. I also designed an “Indus Basin Moot Court Simulation” in which students represented Indian and Pakistani negotiators, regional stakeholders, environmental advocates, judges, and public voices. Before the simulation, students completed briefing materials on the Indus Waters Treaty, basin hydrology, and regional geopolitics. During the activity, they had to use evidence to defend stakeholder positions, respond to counterarguments, and search for workable policy solutions. Afterwards, students completed a reflection essay connecting the simulation to broader course concepts such as treaty design, environmental security, and collaborative governance. This assignment allowed me to assess both content knowledge and higher-order skills such as argumentation, synthesis, and policy analysis.

My second goal is to build an inclusive classroom community where students learn from one another through structured discussion, peer engagement, and respectful disagreement. Early in the semester, I learn about students’ prior coursework, interests, and levels of familiarity with political science because they enter my courses with different academic preparation, political beliefs, cultural experiences, and levels of confidence. To support this diversity, I use multiple modes of participation, including whole-class discussion, small-group work, written reflections, role-play, and office-hour conversations. This matters especially in political science, where students may have different ideological commitments or personal connections to the topics we study. I try to create a classroom where students do not have to agree with one another, but they do have to listen carefully, support their claims with evidence, and engage opposing views respectfully. When teaching sensitive political topics such as nationalism, environmental injustice, international conflict, or India–Pakistan water disputes, I establish clear discussion norms at the beginning of the course. I ask students to distinguish between evidence-based claims and unsupported opinions, to critique arguments rather than individuals, and to recognize that political disagreements often involve real communities and lived experiences. I also scaffold difficult discussions by beginning with shared facts, then moving to stakeholder analysis, and finally inviting students to evaluate competing normative claims. This approach allows me to adapt to the differing needs of each new group of students. 

As a teacher, my goal is to design courses that help students become careful readers, evidence-based thinkers, respectful discussants, and critically informed citizens. I want students to leave my classroom not only with knowledge of international relations, environmental politics, and policy debates, but also with the skills to analyze complex problems, evaluate competing claims, and participate thoughtfully in public life. My teaching continues to evolve through student feedback, mentorship, and reflection, and I am committed to building classrooms that are rigorous, inclusive, and connected to the world students are preparing to enter.

Samples of Work

Interactive learning in the class:

Reflection: The CIRTL Postdoc Pathway Program 2025-2026

The CIRTL Postdoc Pathway Program has been a transformative experience that reshaped my philosophy and approach to undergraduate teaching. It shifted my focus from content delivery to student-centred learning, prompting me to think more critically about how students engage with complex, interdisciplinary material, and how I, as an emerging educator, can facilitate deeper understanding through inclusive, reflective, and research-informed practices.

My journey began with the CIRTL network’s course An Introduction to Evidence-Based Undergraduate STEM Teaching in Fall 2025, where I explored key concepts such as prior knowledge and misconceptions, cognitive organization, adaptive expertise, inclusive teaching, active learning, and formative assessment. These themes were further reinforced through my participation in the Teaching Faculty Learning Community (FLC), where collaborative reflection on these ideas helped ground my evolving pedagogy in both theory and practice.

One particularly impactful experience was attending the workshop 'Effective Assessment Strategies for Large Undergraduate Courses'.  It helped me to explore core assessment challenges in large courses and their impact on learning; a suite of scalable strategies, including authentic assessments and efficient feedback models; and to construct a concrete plan to implement one new strategy in your own context.

Later, my journey in this program involved a structured co-teaching in an environmental policy course at the University of Arizona, where I explored key pedagogical concepts, including active learning, formative assessment, inclusive classroom design, flipped instruction, and the relationship between course organization and student engagement. These themes were continuously reinforced through weekly co-teaching reflections, post-class conversations with mentors, and the iterative process of planning, teaching, and revising each class session in real time.

One particularly impactful dimension of this experience was engaging with evidence-based strategies for building inclusive and participatory classrooms. From the very first week, I observed how small, intentional practices — such as distributing name tags, inviting student introductions, and posting readings one week in advance — could meaningfully signal to students that their presence, preparation, and perspectives matter. I now actively consider how course structures either support or hinder student access, belonging, and confidence, and I carry these considerations into every stage of course design.

I had the opportunity to apply what I was learning as a co-instructor in a course on environment and global water politics, designed and led with mentorship from Dr. Elizabeth Baldwin through the CIRTL Pathways Program. The course provided an excellent platform to experiment with evidence-based and active learning strategies. Rather than relying on traditional lectures, I adopted a flipped classroom model — pre-sharing readings on D2L and using class time for discussion, inquiry, and application. I incorporated multiple active learning methods, including five-minute essays as formative assessments, stakeholder role worksheets on the Indus Waters Treaty, discussion questions embedded throughout lectures, and a culminating Moot Court Simulation on transboundary water governance. These approaches significantly improved student engagement and helped build a collaborative, intellectually alive classroom community.

Importantly, my teaching in this program was guided by a commitment to making complex geopolitical and environmental content accessible to students with diverse academic backgrounds. I structured lectures from broad concepts to specific regional cases — moving from global transboundary water politics to the India–Nepal, India–Pakistan, and India–China contexts — and used multimedia materials, water-conflict databases, and real-world news coverage to ground abstract frameworks in tangible, current realities. Formative assessments, open class discussions, and post-class reflections allowed me to track student understanding and adapt my instruction in ways consistent with a teaching-as-research philosophy.

Through this program, I also grew in my capacity to manage the emotional dimensions of teaching. I began my first solo lectures feeling anxious and uncertain, but I came to understand that confidence in the classroom is built progressively — through preparation, student interaction, mentorship, and the willingness to reflect honestly on what is and is not working. The guidance I received from Dr. Baldwin was invaluable in helping me move from a content-centred mindset to a student-centred one, and from self-doubt to a more grounded sense of pedagogical purpose.

Through CIRTL, I have come to appreciate that effective teaching is both intentional and iterative. It requires continuous reflection, a willingness to adapt, and a deep respect for student diversity. This experience reaffirmed my belief that teaching is most powerful when it is structured, inclusive, and built around meaningful opportunities for students to construct and apply knowledge. I have not only gained practical tools for designing and facilitating undergraduate instruction, but I have also developed a more flexible and empowered teaching identity. The CIRTL Postdoc Pathway Program has been pivotal in helping me grow from anxiety to confidence in the classroom, equipping me to teach with both rigor and care.

Looking ahead, I am committed to a career in academia that bridges water resources research, teaching, and mentorship. I intend to develop interdisciplinary courses in hydropolitics, environmental governance, and water security, with a particular focus on supporting students from underrepresented and international backgrounds who are navigating complex global water challenges. CIRTL has given me the pedagogical foundation to create inclusive, equitable, and research-informed learning spaces — spaces where students do not simply learn about the world's most pressing water challenges, but practice analyzing, debating, and imagining thoughtful responses to them.