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 historical source, solving a physics problem, or debugging a program, my aim is to help them become independent thinkers. I see teaching as an opportunity to make rigorous reasoning visible: to help students identify assumptions, connect evidence to conclusions, and build the confidence to work productively with unfamiliar problems.

My teaching experience at UCLA spans physics, engineering, calculus, history of science, and the study of religion. Moving between these classrooms has shown me that disciplines use different tools to build knowledge, but they share essential habits of mind. A physical model, computational solution, and historical interpretation each require students to make assumptions explicit, support their reasoning, and respond thoughtfully to evidence. I help students develop these habits through clear explanation, active problem solving, and discussion that treats questions as part of the learning process.

In physics, I design interactive problem sets and work through solutions step by step, emphasizing the reasoning behind each choice. I use diagrams, physical intuition, and mathematical expressions as complementary ways into difficult concepts. Students learn not only how to complete a calculation, but also how to explain what the calculation represents and when its assumptions are appropriate. Through BruinLearn, I share worked examples and notes that allow students to revisit a discussion at their own pace, consolidate their understanding, and prepare more purposeful questions.

My work in history of science has strengthened this same commitment to structured reasoning. Evaluating writing and helping develop assignments taught me to attend closely to the relationship among a claim, its evidence, and its implications. I bring that attention into technical instruction, where explaining and defending a solution is part of understanding it. Across disciplines, I want students to see that strong reasoning is not simply the production of a correct answer; it is the ability to communicate how one arrived there and to revise one’s thinking when new evidence appears.

I am equally committed to building classrooms in which students can enter demanding material with confidence. As an Indian international student, a person of color, and a neurodivergent educator, I recognize that academic expectations and disciplinary language are not always equally transparent to every student. My response is to make expectations clear, surface the background knowledge that an explanation may assume, and provide multiple ways to engage with challenging ideas. I want students to feel comfortable asking foundational questions and to have room to formulate thoughtful responses as they develop their own voice.

Teaching calculus through UCLA's Freshman Summer Bridge Program brought these priorities into practice with incoming engineering students. Earlier, at IIT Bombay's Open Learning Initiative, I helped adapt STEM material for Malayalam-speaking learners. Both experiences deepened my attention to the language, examples, and assumptions embedded in technical instruction. Making those assumptions visible does not reduce rigor; it gives more students a meaningful route into the same rigorous ideas.

Student feedback has affirmed the value of this approach. In my Spring 2022 Physics 1B discussion sections, students rated my knowledge of the material, organization, concern for learning, and approachability highly. They described the discussions as especially helpful for building intuition and problem-solving skill, and noted that they felt comfortable bringing forward questions. I value this feedback because it reflects the classroom environment I seek to create: well prepared, intellectually serious, and open to inquiry.

My educational work also extends to mentoring undergraduate and high school students in marine robotics and hardware integration. Research presents students with questions that do not have prepared answers. In that setting, I help mentees identify a manageable next step, connect it to a larger technical purpose, document their reasoning, and develop the judgment to make independent decisions. As a teaching assistant and future faculty member, I see myself as a partner in an instructor's educational goals and as a dependable point of contact for students. I bring preparation, consistent feedback, and a lasting commitment to helping students become careful, capable, and curious thinkers.