At UCSC I have been a TA for multiple classes as well as helping design programs to improve STEM diversity and inclusion at the undergraduate level.
In order to become a more effective and inclusive educator, I completed UCSC’s Professional Development Program which combined theoretical pedagogy and practical teaching projects. I worked in a team of 3 graduate students to plan and implement a new physics workshop for incoming undergraduate transfer students. These students (who are typically more diverse than the general student body) tend to leave STEM fields at a greater rate than their non-transfer counterparts. Our workshop was designed to give them better tools to succeed; we helped them build a support community of STEM learners, while introducing them to campus resources as well as STEM faculty members who could be potential research advisors.
To continue supporting community college and transfer students, I have worked with the UCSC Lamat Computational Astrophysics REU. This program aims to improve diversity by offering summer research positions to students who might not otherwise have these opportunities. In Jan 2016, I helped instruct a Python boot camp for REU participants. This REU can be a powerful way to get students interested in STEM research, while providing them with computational experience and marketable technical skills along the way.
At MIT, I took part in a number of education programs, primarily through the MIT Teacher Education Program. As part of these courses, I was paired with teachers in the Cambridge Public School District, as a Cambridge School Volunteer.
My interest in teaching was first sparked by the MIT Educational Studies Program. Through this student group I organized and led a variety of classes, ranging from science outreach to swing dancing, with classes ranging from 1-hour long to 7-8 weekends.
Please remember that these notes are only preliminary. While I have tried to keep them scientifically accurate, they are not primary sources of science. Neither are they complete, ready-made lesson plans for classroom use. They are simply meant to be guides, for myself or others, suggesting a framework of topics. Not all of these notes suggest how to incorporate classroom activities and student engagement — those aspects depend on the context of the class (which has been highly variable in the implementation of these classes). All classes are nominally intended for high school students.
High School Enrichment Program, MIT Educational Studies Program, 2013
Taught multiple times, focusing on different topics each year. Most complete lecture notes are posted as an overview.
High School Enrichment Program, MIT Educational Studies Program, 2012
This class was co-taught — I only have notes from my half of the class (1 of the 2 hours each week), and I am missing classes 1 and 3. 🙁