Courses
I am the head instructor for spring semester ASTRO 120: The Sky and Solar System for non-science majors. The course has a lecture component and recitations in the ISU planetarium. The class content is finding things in the sky, such as constellations, and the physical processes that occur on planets, moons, and other types of solar system objects. I teach the upper-division version of this course, ASTRO 342: Solar System Astronomy, which is aimed at students studying technical subjects. I also the have been the head instructor and the grader for the online courses ASTRO 102 (North Star) and 103 (Evening Star). I lead the Introductory Seminar (PHYS 199) and Intermediate Seminar (PHYS 299) for freshmen and transfer physics majors.
Teaching Philosophy
In my classes, I bring personal experiences to the classroom; for example not just showing a picture of a telescope, but a story about what I saw and felt when I visited it personally. I let myself show how excited I am about the course topics, which gives students a positive learning environment. Generally, I project a computer-based presentation to the class during lecture. For classes with recitation sections, my TAs assist me in reviewing lecture material and providing help to homework questions in a small class environment. In the summer of 2023, I participated the Physics and Astronomy Faculty Teaching Institute, held by the American Association of Physics Teachers. Based on effective teaching methods presented at the workshop, one thing I plan to incorporate into recitation sections is small-group work exercises, where students can discuss problems with their classmates. This type of teaching method is effective because it is interactive and reduces anxiety students my have with interacting with the instructors (e.g. because they feel like they have a “stupid question”).
I aspire to make a comfortable yet productive learning experience for my students. I make myself available outside of standard work hours, as learning can occur at any time. I take barriers to learning, such as documented learning accommodations and undocumented ones (e.g. math anxiety), very seriously and work with students individually so that they are not held back from learning and enjoying the course material.