Reflections

251 can sometimes feel magical – I certainly felt that way as a student. For me, the magic drew me in further; I wanted to be able to come up with these ideas by myself and build on them. Teaching has been a process in which I have been able to demystify the process (not only for others but also for myself) and also share the sense of amazement and curiosity that I had when I first took the course.

Making magic a science requires continuous learning and hard work. Before my first recitation, I created four pages of colored coded notes going over the solutions, figuring out how to explain how you would get there, and where to try to get students involved in the conversation. While the color coding might have been a bit excessive, the preparation certainly wasn't, and I still look back at my old notes as a resource. When I started TA'ing, I also spent time reflecting on my experiences and creating toolboxes of how to approach problems so I could help students build up their intuition and problem-solving skills.

As a teacher, you are also continuously learning from your students. Sometimes students will ask questions that you don't know the answer to. This has happened to me more times than I can count. These are some of the most fun moments as a TA, where you get to go on a journey with students where nobody really knows where they are going or what the right answer is.

While all the hard work is an essential part of being a TA, more than anything teaching requires a lot of empathy and understanding that not every student is the same. When I first became a TA I really wanted everyone to love theoretical computer science as much as I did. While as TAs we can certainly try to make our class as exciting as possible, I've come to understand that some students just won't like theoretical computer science and that's okay. However, I try to shape the way I teach so everyone can have a good experience in the class.

Teaching doesn't have a one-size-fits-all approach. As I get to know my students over the semester I change the way I present things to target what they are interested in – for some, alluding to ways to extend the ideas from the lecture is super cool, but for others, they would appreciate analogies and connections to other parts of life. Students will notice and appreciate it if you remember what helped concepts "click" for them.

Theoretical computer science is also way more fun when you aren't doing it alone. I make it clear throughout the semester that I am available and eager to help. While some students feel bad taking up your time, I've found that if you are proactive, oftentimes you will find that students would really appreciate the help.

I became a TA because I wanted to become a magician but I stayed because of the students. Over the course of my seven semesters TA'ing I've realized that what really makes all the time and effort worth it is being able to directly see the impact of my work on the student experience. Some of my favorite moments from CMU are from meeting with a student over the course of the semester and watching their understanding of the material improve. I am so grateful for the chance to be part of so many students' journeys and I will look back on TA'ing as one of the highlights of my time at CMU.