Teaching Portfolio

• First Impression matters.
  Whether it is the first day of the class or the first day of the lesson, the first impression that we give to the students matter a lot. On the first day of the class, I try to create a friendly environment where the students feel comfortable to ask questions and share their ideas freely. It is important to clearly communicate what is expected from the students and set a positive tone of the class from day one. It is important to let my students know how technology can and can not be used during classroom activities.  

• Enthusiasm leads to motivation.
  Experience have taught me that students are motivated when the instructor is enthusiastic. Enthusiasm of the instructor carries over to students and make the class more enjoyable and students more engaged. I have been inspired by teachers who are more enthusiastic in the subject no matter how simple the subject is for them compared to the level of their expertise.

• Clear and prompt communication.
  I believe that another vital key for students' academic success is clear communication of what we do, as instructors, expect from our students and what resources are available for the students to help them to meet these expectations. Especially with some hybrid or online modalities.

• Establishing expectations, clear guidelines. 
  It is important for students to know what we expect from them in order for them to becomes active and independent learners. it is expected from a student to spend 3-4 hours per each credit of college math. 

• A lecture vs. discussion.
  I believe that, as an instructor, my main duty is to train my students to be active and confident learners. One way of achieving this goal is to make my lessons engaging as possible by making lessons a classroom discussion more than just a lecture. This way students get to participate and contribute to what they are learning. 

• Learning "how?" and "why?"
  It is important that students know mathematics is not just memorizing a bunch of formulas but also a way of thinking. So it is important that students understand "why" a certain method/step is done, not just "how" to solve a given question.

• Use of technology.
  I believe that students and instructors should use resources that are available to learn and teach. I in-cooperate technology to draw graphs, show 3d objects as visual aids to my students. I am familiar with a variety of e-learning platforms too. 

It is important that students practice questions on their own. With practice students are able to solve questions quickly and more accurately, an important skill in most exams! 

• Good examples in class.
  During lessons I choose examples that cover different types (word problems, numerical problems, multiple choice/answer questions) and with different levels to show case my students. 

• "Crowd-sourced" solutions.
  For these questions I do during the classroom, I would typically do one or two examples on my own to show my students the logical thinking behind each step and the rest of the solutions are "crowd-sourced" by students during the class. Each step, from beginning to end, are obtained by interacting with students. This way we make mistakes together, understand why they are wrong, and learn together.

• Workbooks.
  I have noted that students take good interest in material that are not just their required textbook. So as means to make students practice more, I have started creating "workbooks" for each chapter. Sometimes (depending on the syllabus) these workbooks can carry extra credits for the course. These "workbooks" also came in handy during exam review time, since students get a bank of questions they can practice and test themselves on. Also it is convenient for the instructor to point out certain examples from these workbooks as questions to practice for the exams. 

It is important as an educator to give and get feedback often. These are few methods I employ to give and get feedback from my students. 

• Takeaway of the day.

• Formative Assessments.

• Mid-semester teaching evaluations.

• Learning from peers. 

• Skeletal notes

• Mathematics is not about memorizing formulas.

• Do not leave the classroom with questions in mind.

• Resources 

Useful Online/Free Tools for Students

• Desmos: An online graphing calculator 

• Symbolab: Graphing, Matrix Manipulations, Calculus (integrals, double integrals, triple integrals and much more). 

• Wolfram|Alpha: Similar answer engine like symbolab (based on Mathematica) but more powerful. 

• OpenStax: Peer-reviewed, openly licensed college textbooks. 

• iLovePDF - PDF editing. Can do most thing Adobe Acrobat Pro (paid version) does. 

• OBS Studio - video/screen recording, live streaming, virtual webcam, etc. 

• LibreOffice - MS Office (Office 365) alternative. 

• OpenShot - Video editor

Other Resources for students

• Tips for academic success

• Math Learning Center  at MSU (MLC)

• Counseling

• ARC at MSU (LGBTQIA+ Resource)  

• RCPD at MSU (Resource center for persons with disabilities)

• As the Instructor: 

  • • MAC 2312 (Calculus 2 - Large lecture) - Spring 2025

    • MAA 4102 (Intro to Real Analysis 1) - Spring 2025

    • MAC 2311 (Calculus 1 - Large lectures and honors section) - Fall 2024

    • MAP 2302 (Elementary Differential Equations) - Summer 2024

    • MAC 2312 (Calculus 2 - Flipped) - Spring 2024

    • MAC 2311 (Calculus 1 - Flipped) - Fall 2023

• As the Instructor: 

  • • MTH 103 (College Algebra) - Summer 2018

    • MTH 132 (Calculus I) - Spring 2020

    • MTH 133 (Calculus II) - Fall 2021

    • MTH 235 (Differential Equations) - Fall 2019

    • MTH 299 (Transitions) - Summer 2019

• As the Lead TA for Recitations: 

  • • MTH 132 (Calculus I) - Spring 2021, Fall 2020

• As the Teaching Assistant:

  • • MTH 235 - Spring 2022

    • MTH 299 - Spring 2019, Fall 2018

• As Instructor: 

  • • MATH 1200 (College Algebra)  - Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015