Teaching Principles & Personal Qualities
Disciplined and Patient Instructor: Many students have often remarked on my organized approach and patience. I believe these qualities are at the heart of effective teaching. In our sessions, I’m always tuned in, spotting the areas where learners might be stumbling. Together, we dive deep into those topics, tackling each challenge step by step, ensuring that by the end, they’re at ease with the concepts they once found tricky.
Example-Driven Instruction: I always adjust my teaching approach to fit my students’ preferences. Many of them find value in diving deep into their assignment problems. During our sessions, we comb through these assignments, highlighting particularly tough areas, especially problems they’ve revisited multiple times. Once we’ve pinpointed these challenging spots, we tackle similar problems from various sources like webwork, recommended textbook exercises, or past exams. This ensures they become more comfortable and adept at concepts they once found difficult.
Conceptual Foundations: Many of my students lean towards textbook learning, especially when grappling with conceptual courses. This trend is notably prevalent in subjects like linear algebra, advanced mathematics, and physics. In such scenarios, we begin by delving into the specific sections where they seek clarity. After establishing a strong conceptual foundation, we reinforce the learning by tackling examples from their textbooks, webwork problems, past exams, or other resources.
Responsive Instruction: At the core of my teaching approach is a blend of interactivity and pacing tailored to individual needs. I prioritize active engagement and open dialogue, ensuring students fully grasp concepts. Simultaneously, I recognize the uniqueness of each learner’s pace and adjust my teaching speed to align with their rhythm, ensuring thorough comprehension without overwhelming them.
Software Engineering Training
Hands-on Learning: In the realm of software engineering, theory meets practice. My training emphasizes real-world applications and hands-on experiences, allowing students to immediately apply and reinforce what they’ve learned. This immersive approach ensures not just understanding, but also practical proficiency.
Iterative Development Training: Embracing the iterative process is essential in software engineering. I guide students through cycles of designing, testing, and refining, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement. This approach nurtures adaptability and ensures they’re well-prepared for the dynamic nature of software development.
Problem-Solving Workshops: In these sessions, we tackle real-world software challenges head-on. By simulating genuine scenarios, students enhance their problem-solving skills and learn to apply theoretical knowledge in practical contexts, preparing them for the unpredictable nature of software development projects.
Best Practices and Code Reviews: My focus is on imparting industry-standard best practices to ensure code quality and maintainability. While I don’t delve into extensive code edits due to its time-intensive nature, I guide students on how to conduct effective reviews and recognize areas for improvement, ensuring they cultivate a habit of producing clean and efficient code.
Navigating Online Sessions
Our sessions are conducted entirely online, harnessing the power of modern tools to ensure effective communication and collaboration. Here’s a brief overview of how it works:
Communication Platform: We use Google Meet for video calls. To ensure a seamless experience, you’ll need a laptop for the Google Meet session.
Digital Whiteboard: Miro serves as our interactive whiteboard. For optimal engagement, it’s advisable to access Miro using a tablet or iPad. If unavailable, a smartphone will suffice. Miro lets multiple participants edit in real-time. After sessions, you can download our collaborative work. Kindly sign up for Miro and install the app beforehand—it’s available across Android, Apple, and desktop platforms. I retain our online work for a year, granting you continued access and download privileges during that timeframe.
Collaborative Code Editing: For instances where we need to collaborate on code, we either employ the screen-sharing feature of Google Meet or tap into the collaborative capacities of codecollab.io .
For a hands-on experience with our Miro setup, check out this publicly editable Miro template.
Specialized Instruction Techniques
Crash Courses: For students who request a comprehensive review of an entire course in just a few sessions, I come prepared. I create a concise summary highlighting the key aspects of the course. We swiftly cover all the materials, and by the end, if there are areas they feel less confident about, we work through additional examples. This ensures they’re fully prepped for their upcoming exam.
Collaborative Group Work: Emphasizing teamwork and collective problem-solving, I facilitate group sessions where students come together to tackle challenges. This method not only fosters a collaborative spirit but also exposes students to diverse perspectives and approaches, enriching their learning experience.
Personalized Mentorship: Recognizing that every student has a unique learning journey, I offer one-on-one mentorship tailored to individual goals and challenges. Through consistent guidance, feedback, and support, I aim to empower each learner, helping them reach their fullest potential in their academic and professional pursuits.
Continuous Improvement
Feedback Loops: Valuing continuous growth and refinement, I actively seek and encourage feedback from my students. This iterative feedback process not only enhances the learning experience but also ensures that my teaching methods remain effective and relevant to each student’s needs.
Up-to-date Material: Staying abreast of the latest advancements and trends is crucial. I constantly update and refine my teaching materials to ensure that students are equipped with the most current knowledge and insights in their respective fields.
Lifelong Learning Advocacy: I firmly believe that learning doesn’t end with a diploma or certificate. I champion the ethos of lifelong learning, encouraging students to cultivate a continuous thirst for knowledge and growth throughout their careers and lives.
Ready to experience this methodology firsthand? Easily book your session using the platform provided below.