I gained five years of experience in the classroom teaching at the University of California. I've worked with more than 500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with discussions and lab sessions of 10-40 students making up the core of my experience. I also worked one-on-one with students in office hours and learning labs and gave exam review lectures to several hundred students in the largest lecture hall on campus.
A highlight of my nascent teaching career came in spring 2004, when I was honored with an Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Award from the UC Berkeley GSI Teaching and Resource Center.
My expertise and interests qualify me to intruct the following courses (in no particular order): environmental engineering fundamentals, environmental organic chemistry, water chemistry, ecological engineering, GIS and spatial analysis, watershed management, environmental physical-chemical processes, pollutant fate and transport, aquatic ecology, and natural treatment system design and construction.
Please contact me for a full teaching statement.
Physics 10 – Physics for Future PresidentsSpring semester 2009 [ course description ]
Highlights:
“PFFP” is an extremely popular class, voted the #1 course at UC Berkeley by students several times. You can watch lectures from Berkeley Webcast .Responsibilities:
- Assisted with lectures
- Designed 1-hour weekly review sessions for students
- Provided feedback on student essays
Lessons learned:
- In courses covering a large amount of material, what the instructor wishes to emphasize and what the students retain may not coincide, thus
- Take home lessons must be defined and reinforced
Work examples:
Midterm 1 Essay Problem 2 rubric [PDF]
Midterm 2 Essay Problem 1 rubric [PDF]
Chapter 8 Review notes [PDF]
Chapter 10 Review notes [PDF]Instructor review comments:
Physics 7A - Physics for Scientists and Engineers"I like that it's very loose and able to be guided by our questions and what we need help with... And sometimes your jokes are funny, too."
"I like that my GSI is very open to questions and eager to help us understand what we need to know for the course. He is good at explaining and makes sure to hear every question and answer it to the best of his ability."
"I like that section leaves room for questions and that my GSI while lecturing asks questions, too."
7 Semesters 2002-2006 [ course description ]
Highlights:
- Instructed two sections of the Physics Scholars Program for minority students
- 2004 GSI Teaching and Resource Center Outstanding GSI Award
Responsibilities:
- Planned and lead four hours of class per section per week
- Devised quizzes, exam solutions, and review session questions designed to help students master the subject
- Lectured on review material to over 200 students
Lessons learned:
- Closely supervised group work will empower student teaching and the “viral” spread of knowledge
- A course center for office hours gives the opportunity for students to do board work and practice example problems
Work Examples:
Final exam review questions [PDF] and solutions [PDF]Civil Engineering 115 - Aquatic Chemistry
Midterm review packet [PDF] largely covering rotation
Fluid mechanics quiz [PDF]
Midterm 2 problem solution [PDF]
Final exam problem solution [PDF]Fall Semester 2005 [ course description ]
Responsibilities:
- Convened weekly discussion section
- Wrote detailed homework solutions
- Created examples and review problems
Lessons learned:
- Prioritize curriculum goals to keep class focus and momentum
- Build on successful examples and thought exercise
- Adjust the course as the semester progresses to meet student needs
Work Examples:
Homework 1 problem statement [ PDF] and solutions [PDF]Astronomy 10 – Introduction to Astronomy
Homework 6 problem statement [PDF] and solutions [PDF]Fall Semester 2001 [ course description ]
Highlights:
Professor Alex Filippenko's Astronomy 10 course, for which he won a Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year Award, is so popular that there isn't a lecture hall on campus big enough to hold all his students. His lectures are webcast, so you can get the lectures from Berkeley Webcast and watch them too!Responsibilities:
- Prepared discussion section, devised quizzes, and graded homework and quizzes for 132 students each week
Lessons learned:
- A large teaching load can be managed by clearly communicating your availability and limits for providing help
- Dynamic lectures with simple demonstrations enhance learning and student enthusiasm
- Math-phobia amongst humanities students can be assuaged through clear examples and gentle encouragement
Work Examples:
Final Exam Review Questions [PDF]