Learning & teaching assistant
Undergraduate mathematics, Stellenbosch University, Mathematics Department, 2018
From 2018 to 2023 (inclusive), I worked as a teaching & learning assistant for various undergraduate mathematics modules at Stellenbosch University.
My philosophy on tutoring
For all of my tutoring career (bar a short stint in 2017), I have been employed by my university. On moral grounds, I prefer not to offer private tutoring, even though it pays better. This is because South Africa is a country haunted by past injustice that has led to gross financial inequality; the people who most need help thus often cannot afford it privately. By tutoring through the university, I ensure that my assistance reaches a wider audience with no additional expenses to the students.
Modules taught
Below is a breakdown of my tutoring experience. My official job title has changed on occasion in accordance with Stellenbosch University’s naming conventions for certain collections of duties. To avoid ambiguity, I have simply listed the duties I managed for each module.
| Module | Level | Module contents | Years tutored | Description of duties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math 114 | First year | Calculus, basic logic | 2018 | Live tutoring: large groups, in team |
| Math 144 | First year | Calculus, linear algebra | 2018 | Live tutoring: large groups, in team |
| Math 214 | Second year | Calculus, linear algebra | 2018-2023 | Live & online tutoring: large & small groups, solo; marking |
| Math 244 | Second year | Calculus, linear algebra | 2018-2023 | Live & online tutoring: large & small groups, solo; ad hoc lecturing |
| Math 378 | Third year | Fredholm theory | 2020 | Online tutoring: individuals, solo |
| Algebra 314 | Third year | Ring & group theory | 2021-2023 | Live tutoring: large groups, solo |
Explanation of module levels
There is a small discrepancy between how college year groups are named in the US and in South Africa. The ‘Module level’ column of the above table follows the South African convention. Here is a handy translation table:
| US year group name | South African year group name |
|---|---|
| Freshman | First year |
| Sophomore | Second year |
| Junior | Third year |
| Senior | Honours |
Online tutoring
My style of online tutoring mainly involves going through problems live, writing notes via a Wacom tablet. Here are some typical examples of the resulting notes. While it began because of Covid-19, I embrace the online format - my tutorials were recorded, and supplemented with live online quizzes, feedback forms, and occasionally even live code examples. Students consistently valued being able to revisit notes and/or recordings of sessions.