Why I Want To Become A Mentor-Tutor

I have always loved learning and I know that a large part is due to my favorite grade school teacher. I attended an alternative (Waldorf) school where one main teacher follow a class from first through eighth grade teaching core topics (e.g. math, English, history). My teacher made learning fun and supported my early interest in math. Additionally, she taught my first meteorology course in eighth grade, sparking lifelong passion. Since eighth grade I’ve engulfed myself in weather and climate systems, learning as much as I can about the atmosphere that surrounds me. As I dove deeper into the field, the most tangible career seemed to be the National Weather Service, as I liked how working there would directly help people. With this career in

When I was a student in physics I attended PLC sessions, for help with the material as well as to be part of an inclusive learning environment. After concluding my series of physics, the director as me to be a PMT. I accepted since it would give me a chance to strengthen my understanding of physics, along with the opportunity to teach students. The PLC’s focus is beyond a physics tutoring center, as a PMT tutors are meant to act as mentors and provide support outside of the classroom. The PLC is designed to foster an inclusive learning space for those who may feel isolated in the large lecture hall, by having small groups come together to discuss supplementary material. This goal was supported by weekly staff meetings that provided information and training aimed to broaden our knowledge of educational concepts such as active learning, growth mindset, and stereotype threat, among others. Thus, as a PMT, part of my role was to bring in material in ways that encouraged student interactions as well as cultivated their grasp of educational knowledge. Additionally, I could lead by example showing (my predominantly female groups) that women could be leaders in STEM. I was a PMT for five semesters, and every session I learned something new about how to better convey a physical concept. Working with the PLC advanced my interest in teaching, as I wanted to bring the knowledge I

The Delta program is designed to help engage participants in teaching as research to produce future faculty in STEM who are committed to effective teaching practices to a diverse group of students. My first class “Effective Teaching in an Internationally Diverse College Classroom” focuses on ways to utilize students’ diverse backgrounds as an asset in the classroom. Taking this course in conjunction with teaching has promoted constant thought of how to put teaching concepts into practice. Additionally, it has helped clarify just how important it is to have diverse faculty, including female professors in a male dominated