Real learning is, almost by definition, active learning; it requires confronting areas of missing or incorrect knowledge and consciously constructing a broader, more accurate understanding. As a teacher, I provide my students with a structured framework to engage a course's content and expand the limits of their knowledge and analytical abilities. I use active learning techniques to help students through this process, emphasizing a deep understanding of fundamental physical laws and the connections between phenomena occurring in different physical domains. I also seek to inspire my students with a passion for the material that will sustain them through the hard work that learning requires, and to connect their coursework to the world outside the classroom.
My experience in classroom instruction and as a research advisor has allowed me to hone my personal teaching style, and informs my understanding of effective teaching methods. I have served as a teaching assistant in introductory and upper-level astrophysics courses, as the primary instructor for an introductory astronomy course, and am preparing to co-teach an E&M course this spring. I have advised and mentored nine undergraduate students through summer and thesis research projects; two of these students published first-author papers in the Astronomical Journal, half are now pursuing graduate studies, and several received awards from professional organizations and their departments.
For more information on my teaching interests and experience, see my full Teaching Statement.