My Path in Teaching

My passion for teaching began at a very young age. Since high school, I have been dedicated to helping my peers understand and excel in mathematics and scientific subjects. This early experience solidified my commitment to education and sparked my desire to pursue a career in teaching.

One of the main reasons I enrolled in a PhD program was to fulfill my aspiration of teaching at a higher level.

During my doctoral studies, I seized the opportunity to enhance my teaching skills by enrolling in the Teaching Certificate program offered by the Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching at CEU.

Using an LMS (Moodle) for Teaching and Assessment

In the "Using an LMS (Moodle) for Teaching and Assessment" course, I gained expertise in leveraging Moodle, a widely used Learning Management System, to enhance my teaching and assessment practices. Key skills and knowledge acquired include:

• Course Management: How to effectively organize course materials, create interactive learning modules, and manage student enrollments and communications within Moodle.
• Assessment Tools: Utilization of Moodle's assessment features, such as quizzes, assignments, and gradebook functionalities, to monitor and evaluate student progress.
• Engagement Techniques: Strategies to foster student engagement through forums, wikis, and other collaborative tools available on the Moodle platform.

Supervising Undergraduate Research

The "Supervising Undergraduate Research" course equipped me with the necessary skills to mentor and guide undergraduate students through their research projects. Key takeaways from this course include:

• Research Planning: Techniques for helping students develop research proposals, set achievable goals, and create realistic timelines for their projects.
• Mentorship: Best practices for providing constructive feedback, fostering critical thinking, and encouraging independent research skills.
• Ethical Considerations: Ensuring that students adhere to ethical standards in their research, including proper citation practices and considerations for human subjects research.

Reflections on Peer Observation

The observation highlighted several strengths in my teaching, such as engaging students through interactive activities and maintaining a professional yet entertaining approach. However, it also identified areas for improvement, particularly in session structure, time management, and clarity of learning outcomes.

Based on this feedback, I have made several changes to enhance my teaching practice:

• Improved Session Structure: I now ensure that each session begins with a clear introduction, outlining the learning outcomes and the session plan. This provides context and sets expectations for students.
• Enhanced Time Management: I have worked on better organizing my lesson plans to allow for pauses, transitions, and student questions. This includes pruning content to avoid rushing and ensuring a smoother flow.
• Clearer Learning Outcomes: I have refined my learning outcomes to be more specific and measurable. This helps in setting clear expectations and assessing whether students have achieved the desired knowledge and skills.