Teaching Statement

I want students to leave a course able to explain why an idea works, recognize where it applies, and ask a better question when it does not. Whether they are interpreting a text, solving a physics problem, or debugging a program, my aim is to help them become more independent thinkers. I pair careful explanation with opportunities to work through uncertainty, because that is where understanding becomes their own.

My teaching experience at UCLA spans physics, engineering, calculus, history of science, and the study of religion. Moving between these classrooms has made me attentive to how different disciplines build knowledge. A physical model, a computational solution, and an interpretation of a historical source require different methods, but each asks students to make assumptions visible, support their reasoning, and respond thoughtfully to evidence.

In physics discussions, I have developed interactive problem sets and worked through solutions step by step, emphasizing the reasoning that connects one step to the next. Diagrams, physical intuition, and mathematical expressions offer complementary ways into a difficult concept. My goal is to make the path through a problem visible enough that students can eventually choose a path for themselves.

Students have specifically valued the worked examples and notes I shared through BruinLearn. Those materials give them something to revisit after discussion, when they can study at their own pace and identify what still needs clarification. I see a useful explanation as one that remains useful when the instructor is no longer beside the student.

Teaching history of science has also given me experience evaluating writing and helping develop assignments. It has strengthened my attention to the structure of an argument: what is being claimed, which evidence supports it, and where a reader needs a clearer connection. I bring that attention to communication into technical teaching as well. A correct answer becomes more valuable when a student can explain and defend it.

As an Indian international student, a person of color, and a neurodivergent educator, I bring a personal interest in how students find their footing in an academic community. I do not assume that my experience represents anyone else's. It does inform my commitment to clear expectations, room for questions, and multiple ways to engage with demanding material.

For me, that commitment takes shape through concrete choices: visual explanations alongside equations, written steps students can revisit, and connections to familiar examples. I want students to be able to ask a foundational question without feeling that they have announced they do not belong. I also want to leave space for students who need time to formulate a response, rather than treating speed or confidence as a complete measure of understanding.

Teaching calculus through UCLA's Freshman Summer Bridge Program brought these priorities into work with incoming engineering students. Earlier, at IIT Bombay's Open Learning Initiative, I helped adapt STEM material for Malayalam-speaking learners. These experiences inform my attention to the language and background knowledge an explanation assumes. Making those assumptions explicit gives more students a way into the same rigorous ideas.

Student feedback helps me understand both what is working and what needs attention. In a Spring 2022 Physics 1B evaluation, one student described my discussions as "extremely helpful for building intuition." Another wrote, "I did not hesitate to ask about concepts that I did not understand." I value that combination of intellectual usefulness and approachability.

The same evaluations also included a request to slow down and allow more time to read a worksheet before beginning a solution. That feedback is a useful reminder: an explanation can be clear to the person giving it and still move too quickly for the person encountering the problem for the first time. It reinforces my commitment to pacing, pauses, and checking understanding before moving on.

My educational work also extends into research mentorship, including undergraduate and high school students working on marine robotics and hardware integration. Research gives students a setting in which a question may not have a prepared answer. My aim as a mentor is to help them connect a manageable next step to a larger purpose, document their reasoning, and build the judgment to make increasingly independent decisions.

As a teaching assistant, I see myself as a partner in the instructor's educational goals and a dependable point of contact for students. I value preparation, consistent feedback, and communication about the difficulties students are encountering. Across departments, I hope to contribute a classroom presence that is rigorous, curious, and approachable, helping students leave with stronger reasoning and greater confidence in their ability to keep learning.