TEACHING



Turret Window Arch, Utah (07/2019)

"The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows" - Sydney J. Harris

A piece of paper taped to the door of my closet and a pen were all that I used in my quest to explain basic algebra to my two-person “class” while playing the role of a teacher in middle school. Although my siblings took this as a pastime, that role has always been a cherished ambition for me. Nowadays, I seize every opportunity to put this passion into action and witness the diversity of students' growth and learning. I adopt a variety of pedagogies and focus on evoking an emotional connection between the students and the learning objectives rather than just an abstract and mechanical involvement. In all of my classes, I seek and provide continuous feedback and I incorporate concrete examples, hands-on live demonstrations, live polls, among other.

Some quotes from my students:

  • "Mohamad truly facilitates learning instead of spoon-feeding answers which I appreciate."

  • "Mohamad was excellent at using technology that normally is not used by professors which made it much more engaging. Writing out formulas on the board made it easier to break them down and understand what is going on."

  • "He is really good at explaining things in different ways so that everyone can understand."

  • "I was able to use these new skills in my other classes and other assignments for this class."

  • "When combined with the fact he accommodates for our busy schedules, he's probably one of the best TAs I've had."

  • "Mohamad did a great job of stressing the concepts and thinking strategies rather than pure memorization of the formulas. This helped make the techniques translatable to different topics and classes."

  • "Your lectures were super well organized and also the memes were funny. I liked examples you gave from your past work and how you walked through the process you went through."

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Teaching Assistant

CE 360K Foundation Engineering - The University of Texas at Austin (Fall 2021)

Undergraduate Course (Upper Division, Technical Elective)

Effect of geotechnical conditions on the behavior, proportioning, and choice of foundation type; design of shallow and deep foundations; study of foundation case histories.

  • Designed and directed a weekly 2-hour lecture focusing on developing practical tools and workflows with hands-on exercises and demonstrations of practical aspects related to foundation engineering.

  • Adapted, trained, and encouraged the use of automation workflows for site characterization and foundation design tasks, resulting in their successful implementation in assignments and a design project.

  • Conducted a mid-semester feedback and incorporated changes to increase the efficacy of the students' learning experience.


Average TA Evaluation: 4.9/5

Enrollment: 34 students

CE 360K Foundation Engineering - The University of Texas at Austin (Fall 2019)

Undergraduate Course (Upper Division, Technical Elective)

Effect of geotechnical conditions on the behavior, proportioning, and choice of foundation type; design of shallow and deep foundations; study of foundation case histories.

  • Supervised 10 teams in their design project, providing constructive feedback on analyzing real site investigation data and proposing alternative foundation designs

  • Developed practice problems for learning assignments.


Average Instructor Evaluation: 4.6/5

Enrollment: 28 students

CE 357 Geotechnical Engineering - The University of Texas at Austin (Spring 2019)

Undergraduate Course (Upper Division, Required)

Engineering properties of soils; hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of soils; soil compaction and consolidation; stresses with the soil mass; settlement of foundations of structures; laboratory measurements.

  • Delivered constructive feedback on engineering content, professional writing, and communication on 100+ weekly assignments

Guest Lecturer

CEE 6380 Earthquake Engineering - Utah State University (Spring 2021)

Graduate and Undergraduate Course

Seismology and earthquake source characterization, strong ground motion, seismic hazard analysis, wave propagation, soil dynamics, ground response, local site effects, liquefaction, seismic slope stability, soil improvement, vibrational analyses, and structural seismic design.

  • Invited to teach two lectures demonstrating the use of the computer programs SigmaSpectra and Strata for selecting suites of motions that fit a target response spectrum and performing site response analysis, respectively.

  • Developed and delivered two one-hour lectures integrating live demonstrations, teaching aids, and evaluation.

PEDAGOGICAL TRAININGS

Inclusive Classrooms Leadership Certificate (Summer 2022)

Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin

Completed a teaching seminar about strategies for developing and sustaining inclusive classroom climate.

Advanced Teaching Preparation Certificate (Fall 2021)

Faculty Innovation Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Completed a series of 8 sessions on developing teaching skills, including working with students with disabilities, cognitive learning theories, grading and feedback, fostering diversity and inclusive teaching practices, promoting students' mental health, and fostering student participation.

Fundamentals for Teaching Assistants (Fall 2021)

Graduate School, The University of Texas at Austin

Completed a semester-long professional development seminar to learn skills, behavior, and strategies for effective college teaching and leading effective discussions and labs.

Engineering Graduate Student Professional Development (Fall 2017)

Graduate School, The University of Texas at Austin

Completed a full-day teaching assistant certification with a focus on teaching in engineering.