Teaching Related...

If I have to sum up my teaching philosophy in one word, it would be practice. I believe that practice is essential for both teaching and learning Mathematics, I preach what I practice. I synthesize and include my successful or (temporarily) failed attempts in the syllabus, and I bring students up to date on the latest problem-solving techniques and breakthroughs. I encourage students to pursue self-created problems and provide guidance for solving them efficiently. I work with them to help them refine their concepts and solution techniques.

In late 2015, the Community Welfare Department at NIT Jamshedpur provided me with an opportunity to be a Mathematics Tutor under the Earn-N-Learn Scheme, which piqued my interest in teaching. With this opportunity, I taught Mathematics to the higher secondary level pupils of DAV School (NIT Campus) and LIG resident students for almost a year and a half. There, for the first time, I learned how to lay a solid foundation for students to perceive the subject with greater cognition. I began teaching at the UG level in a Degree College shortly after finishing my master's degree. There, I taught Differential Equations and Linear Algebra and guided a special batch for the IIT JAM exam. The most important thing I took away from this experience was how to handle explaining theoretical concepts while also seeding an intense problem-solving ability. Following this, I was hired as a Content Developer at an Academy that coaches students for highly competitive national exams such as IIT JAM, GATE, CSIR-UGC NET, NBHM, TIFR, and others. In addition to working in the Content Development Wing, I handled face-to-face doubt sessions for exam aspirants. This experience benefited me both personally and professionally, as it enhanced my problem-solving abilities in almost all higher mathematics topics, which helped me qualify for many entrance exams/interviews and secure positions at reputable institutes. Many of my students have been placed at prestigious Indian institutes and organizations.

Most recently, as a part of the PMRF deliverables, I have concluded teaching Differential Calculus and Differential Equations with MATLAB to the Diploma students at the New Government Polytechnic Patna. In these two subjects, I have covered a range of topics and attempted to establish a pedagogy for easily seeding such high-level concepts. My pedagogy technique entails drawing the students' attention to the topic's importance by providing them with a taste of the historical and practical aspects of the topic.

During my undergraduate studies, my Physics teacher, Amardeep Awasthi Sir, was teaching us optics theory and made a mistake (perhaps purposely) on the blackboard; I immediately raised my hand and said, "Sir, you made a mistake." Then he replied: Yes, I made a mistake, but rather than pointing it out directly, you should analyze and say, "Sir, I believe this particular thing should be like this," because raising the same concern in this manner will prompt your classmates to think about it positively. This incident was crucial to me. Since then, I have been raising my queries in such a way that other fellows may also be motivated to think and consider the raised questions in a positive and constructive way. This also helped me to engage in more frequent productive discussions with teachers and peers. When I reflect on my career and life thus far, I've recognized that the magnitude of my triumphs and victories has been exactly proportional to the value found in the types of questions I was willing to ask. For me, curiosity has aided in my understanding of the world. I believe that if we stop asking ourselves vital questions, we will hinder our advancement and limit our comprehension. I also incorporate this into my pedagogy and encourage students to ask questions more constructively.

In my master's programme, I took about fifteen different courses. The biggest blunder I made was treating Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics as separate disciplines, prioritizing Applied Mathematics based on my research interests. This posed a significant challenge while conducting a literature review for research during the early stages of my doctoral programme. All disciplines are in some way interconnected, and conducting research necessitates a good understanding of all of them. This is especially important in this age of multidisciplinary research. The most recent addition to my pedagogy is to encourage students to treat all topics equally in order to achieve holistic learning outcomes. Pursuing this path could help them secure a future filled with limitless research and academic possibilities.

I have always believed in the dissemination of knowledge, and I have delivered a few invited/contributed talks and witnessed numerous knowledge-sharing platforms and events. Knowledge dissemination has the potential to improve the teaching-learning process significantly. As a result, I make every effort to entice learners to participate in group discussions and presentations.

 "A good teacher is always a good learner and vice versa."