Anna Mummert

Teaching Experience

2007–2008	Alfred University Visiting Assistant Professor Fall 2007: Calculus (two sections), Differential Equations
2006–2007	Michigan State University Visiting Research Instructor Primary instructor of four sections of Calculus I Duties include teaching three hours per week; writing, grading homework and exams; holding office hours; maintaining course web page
2000–2006	Penn State University Graduate Teaching Associate Primary instructor of nine sections Calculus I, Business Calculus II, Vector Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra Duties include teaching three to four hours per week; writing, grading homework and exams; holding office hours; maintaining course web page

Teaching Awards and Certificates

Penn State Graduate School's Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award, April 2006
Penn State Course in College Teaching, July 2004
Teaching Associate Certificate, Math Department, Penn State University, April 2004

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that teaching well takes dedication and flexibility. I set goals for myself because teaching well a priority. My goals are to be enthusiastic, to run an organized class, and to meet each student at their level.

My main goal is to be enthusiastic. Something as minor as using colored chalk to spending an entire day playing games, such as Bingo, help keep the students (and me!) engaged in the class. I have found that varying my teaching style helps keep the students interested, and can help them learn the material. Some of the teaching styles I have used are lecture, different visual aids, group work, themed exams to emphasize real world applications, and playing games for review. I assess the teaching styles that I use and try to improve them the next time. For example, my use of technology in the classroom has improved with experience.

Another goal that I have is to run an organized class. For example, I like to have the course schedule and all of the homeworks available on the course webpage before the semester begins. I plan each lesson carefully in order to present the material clearly. I explain the technique required to solve a problem and work problems following this technique.

Finally, I always try to meet each student at their level. I learn my students' names and try to determine their personal goals while in my class. Meeting each student at their level is especially important during office hours. Different students require different levels of help and methods of encouragement. For example, some students have a good understanding of the material and simply need encouragement that they are doing the work correctly, while others need help understanding the material before working on problems.