Previous Courses
This page describes some of the previous courses that I've assisted in teaching.
One of our labs measured water quality in treatments of different Phosphorus and Nitrogen ratios.
One of our labs measured genetic drift in populations of fruit flies.
One of our labs measured variation in plants grown in light and dark conditions.
One of our labs measured water quality in treatments of different Phosphorus and Nitrogen ratios.
Lab in Ecology and Evolution
I was a teaching assistant for this laboratory course at the University of Toronto for two semesters in Fall 2009 and Fall 2010. The course consists of a series of lab experiments demonstrating key concepts in ecology and evolutionary biology. There was also a preparatory lecture each week in advance of the lab. Every week I prepared a short review of the topic for each lab and dealt with any remaining student misconceptions. I also led the lab exercise and graded student reports. This class helped to prepare me for answering questions that I didn't anticipate and for troubleshooting activities in progress. It was also great for me to be able to take students through the whole scientific process, from asking a question, doing an experiment, and then communicating the results.
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Guest Lecture: Animal Communication
Both light and dark reactions in photosynthesis were a major theme of this course.
Water transport and balance in plants was one of the major themes of the course.
One of the main topic of this course was plant growth and reproduction.
Both light and dark reactions in photosynthesis were a major theme of this course.
Plant Physiology
I was the teaching assistant for this course at the University of Toronto for one semester in Spring 2011. I was responsible for communicating course policy and answering questions for a large undergraduate course. I was also responsible for grading the exams in the course. During this course, I learned how important it is to have clear instructions and expectations for students, especially in a large class setting.
We used a variety of methods to explore marine diversity.
We caught a lot of fish for use in student experiments, which were later released.
No one did a project on the stingrays, but they were great to observe nonetheless.
We used a variety of methods to explore marine diversity.
Marine Tropical Ecology
I assisted with this course the first time it was offered, as an unofficial teaching assistant at the University of Toronto in Spring 2010. I was responsible for assisting students in designing and implementing research projects that were carried out in Panama. This course was my first experience as the teaching assistant for a field course. It gave me a lot of experience in helping students to develop their own projects and in troubleshooting projects in the field.