Teaching Philosophy and Experience

My teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that making mistakes is an essential part of studying mathematics. My goal is to encourage my students to take intellectual risks and embrace mistakes rather than fear them. I want my students to recognize, examine, recover, and learn from mistakes. This helps them build technical proficiency alongside the confidence and resilience needed to approach complex problems. Active engagement and sustained mentorship is essential, especially in classrooms that bring together diverse academic backgrounds.  

As an instructor of record for Calculus I and introductory mathematics courses, I developed an interactive, student-centered approach built around guided problem-solving, discussion, and collaboration. When appropriate, I incorporate computational tools to help visualize abstract concepts and connect mathematical ideas to applications. I like to ask the students to lead me through a problem, even allowing them to lead me down a dead-end path, so that we can work together to identify the obstacle and recover from it. This experimental approach helps students see that mistakes are not failures, but a natural and productive part of the learning process. It also encourages them to engage with the material without fear of being wrong, which is especially important for students who may not initially see themselves as strong in mathematics or who experience math anxiety. I encourage my students to articulate their reasoning and explore multiple solution strategies, and I emphasize the value of persistence and curiosity.  This highlights the iterative approach that helps students reduce anxiety and develop resilience when studying mathematics. These approaches will serve them whether or not they continue to study mathematics. 

For eight years, I supported undergraduates as a tutor at the Math and Business Tutoring Center at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, working 15–20 hours per week with students across a wide range of courses, from introductory quantitative reasoning and statistics to advanced topics such as partial differential equations. This experience strengthened my ability to meet students at their individual level of preparation. I enjoyed adapting explanations in real time and  incorporating computational tools to help visualize abstract concepts and connect mathematical ideas to applications. It also helped me recognize the value of office hours and one-on-one conversations, that provide a more comfortable space to ask questions and work through challenges. 

My commitment to student development extends beyond the classroom. At Oak Ridge National Laboratory, I created a tailored structured independent study program for an undergraduate student. I coached her throughout this semester-long program, meeting her weekly and facilitating her progress. The aim of this course was to strengthen her mathematical and computational background and prepare her for a summer internship at the lab. This preparation served her well: she excelled in her summer research experience and earned a best poster award. She has since gone on to pursue a doctoral degree at an Ivy League institution. This is the kind of student growth and achievement I seek to foster through intentional mentorship.

I am currently mentoring four undergraduate students on research projects developing numerical methods for time-dependent differential equations.  These projects allowed students to engage with open-ended problems, build computational and analytical skills, and present their work at international conferences. They have been empowered to extend their classroom work to research, and to develop genuine mathematical maturity.

Finally, because I am a first-generation college student, I value the transformative role that education can play. I want to contribute to undergraduate mathematics education so that students see themselves as capable problem-solvers prepared for a wide range of paths.