Designing and Planning for Learning Activities

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My approach to designing learning experiences focuses on creating structured and clear, yet flexible, frameworks. While assisting with a first-time faculty-led course, I contributed to the development of the syllabus and homework assignments. I used my previous teaching experience and made sure the wording is clear and the workload is reasonable. I also ensured that the course structure was organized and accessible through a well-maintained Canvas site. This design process was centered on transparency and clarity, as I helped develop grading rubrics that explicitly aligned assessments with core learning objectives. I ensured the rubric was available to students before the assignment start date. I further supported student-centered design by adapting a peer-review form for group projects, which allowed me to monitor group dynamics and proactively address potential conflicts, reflecting a commitment to equitable collaboration (V2, V5). In my role as a guest lecturer for graduate-level special topics, I took full responsibility for designing two lectures and in-class learning materials. To ensure students were not just passive recipients of information, I developed a step-by-step coding notebook for hands-on practice, integrating my specific research expertise with the course focus to provide a detailed context (V2, V3). 

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Teaching and Supporting Student Learning

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In the classroom and lab, I prioritize active learning and evidence-based methods to foster an environment where students feel empowered to articulate their understanding. When leading discussion sections for advanced biology, I structured my statistical sessions to include 25min interactive review followed by 1.5h intensive group activities. I went over pre-session questions that have the lowest correctness rate and designed similar questions in slides (K1, K2). I also monitored group activities and identified challenging concepts identified through student interaction. This inclusive approach was mirrored in my online discussion sessions, where I delivered targeted mini-lectures or review questions based on identified student bottlenecks and facilitated collaborative activities in shared online documents (V3, K1, K2). In the biophysics lab, I managed student interactions by organizing rotating groups to encourage diverse teamwork and collaborative learning (V2, V5). I also participated in teaching in small group settings. I had mentored engineering class projects and held one-on-one weekly meetings for college writing class. My teaching is informed by a commitment to inclusivity. I have drawn on my own experience as a STEM major and ESL learner to encourage students from diverse backgrounds to view technical writing as a practical tool for communication (V2).

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Assessing and Giving Feedback for Learning

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I view assessment as a critical dialogue rather than a final judgment, focusing on providing actionable feedback that supports continuous improvement. Across multiple classes, I have collaborated with instructional teams to grade assignments using shared rubrics on platforms like Gradescope, ensuring that our grading remains consistent, fair, and transparent (V5, K4). During one-on-one mentoring for college writing, I met weekly with each of the 15 students to review writing samples. The session was held online due to COVID-19, which made it particularly challenging to encourage student participation. This was especially true for some ESL students who lacked confidence in English and were attending the class from their home countries with significant time zone differences. I used open-ended questions to promote conversion and identified specific bottlenecks of students, such as opening sentences, transitions, citation etc, and made students work on more examples. I tried to make sure each student received individualized feedback and accommodated student’s time zone when planning the sessions (V1). I also use assessment data to inform my own teaching; for example, I regularly identify common misconceptions in lab reports or exams and report these to the faculty to adjust upcoming lectures or discussion slides (K3). In more specialized roles, such as mentoring an undergraduate Amgen Scholar, I reviewed the student’s daily lab performance, encouraged the students to write their own protocols, and scaffolded tasks to help the student reach achievable weekly goals. I also guided the students and provided their final presentation and poster. I tried to ensure that assessment remains a supportive and integral part of the learning cycle (K3).

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Supporting and Guiding Learners

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My support for students extends beyond the classroom through dedicated mentoring and accessible office hours. During my one-on-one mentoring for writing, I not only provided feedback on homework but also pointed them to wider campus resources while needed, such as CV workshops and the library writing center. In my office hours, I provide a space for students to ask questions regarding both class material and general career advice, helping them navigate the complexities of research and professional development. My mentoring approach in the lab involves designing manageable projects tailored to a student’s ability and time, supervised experiment planning, and advised on deliverables (V2). I helped the student building transferable research skills by encouraging students to document the learning process, such as taking notes for research papers, writing out protocols and documented observations during experimental procedures. I also made myself available for career questions and help with the student’s graduate school application. This commitment to guidance is aimed at fostering a sense of belonging and providing the necessary scaffolding for students to succeed in their academic and professional journeys.

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Engaging in Professional Development as a Teacher

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I am committed to the continuous refinement of my teaching through reflection, observation, and training (A5). I participated in a semester-long Teaching Triangles group through Certificate in College Teaching program (CCT), where I observed two peers’ classes and received two observations of my own teaching using a shared rubric (A5, V5). This experience allowed me to use written and in-person feedback to adjust how I facilitate discussion and structure class activities (A5). (V3). This collaborative process of observing and evaluating provides a critical basis for effective practice, allowing me to adapt my teaching through reflective critique (K3, V5). This experience led me to think more deeply about student engagement in lecture-heavy or content-dense sessions. I became aware that students engage with material at different paces and in different ways, with some moving quickly due to prior familiarity and others needing more time for processing and discussion. I also observed variation in group work preferences and pacing, which made me reconsider how I structure groups and whether early-course surveys could better support diverse learning needs. Furthermore, I learned evidence based strategies in departmental teaching classes, such as active learning and retrieval practice (V3). I modified my sessions to incorporate more interactive check-ins, structured pauses, and short breaks, circulate more intentionally among groups, and simplify slides with summary points to improve engagement and retention. To facilitate retrieval practice, I started to incorporate more question during sessions, and immediately asked questions or provided examples after review certain concepts. By treating every teaching opportunity as a chance for professional growth, I maintain constant improvement in my teaching journey (K5).