Teaching

Page

A picture of Chelsea pointing at a screen with project images light her arm

As a scientist, I believe that the same empiricism and respect for data that is applied to research should also be applied to teaching. Since physics education research has overwhelmingly found that students learn best when actively engaged in class, my teaching approach is centered on active learning. In particular, I incorporate hands-on activities where students practice how they will apply their knowledge in research and/or future careers.

I deliberately developed my teaching approach by pursuing education in best-practices. My first experience leading interactive classrooms was as a teaching assistant for Extended Analytical Physics (EAP), an introductory physics course for freshman engineering majors with poor math preparation. That course open my eye on what physics education could be, and I won the Richard J. Plano Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for cultivating understanding through active learning and building enthusiasm for physics in this course. Since then, I have pursued evidence-based practices to continually improve my teaching, including through the Center for Astronomy Education’s Teaching Excellence Workshop, McMaster University’s MacPherson Institute for Leadership, Innovation, and Excellence in Teaching, and workshops at the Yale-NUS Centre for Teaching & Learning. 

Awards & Press

Selected Teaching

  • Instructor, YSC1213 General Physics, AY2022/23, AY2021/22, AY2020/21, AY2019/20, AY2018/19 Semester 1.
  • Instructor, YSC1219 Introduction to Black Holes, AY2022/23 Semester 1, AY2020/21, AY2019/20, AY2018/19 Semester 2.
  • Instructor, YSC3246 Modern Astrophysics, AY2021/22 Semester 1, AY2019/20 Semester 2.
  • Co-instructor, YSC1131 Scientific Inquiry 1, AY2020/21 Semester 2.
  • Co-instructor, YSC2137 Scientific Inquiry 2, AY2020/21, AY2019/20 Semester 1.
  • Co-instructor, YSC2237 Computational Methods for Physical Sciences, AY2018/2019, Semester 2.
  • Instructor, ASTR111 Exploring the Cosmos, AY2021/22 Semester 2 at Amherst College (faculty exchange).
  • Instructor, ASTR352 Advanced Astrophysics, AY2021/22 Semester 2 at Amherst College (faculty exchange).

Group Members

Pictures of the group from 2021.

The Sharon Research Group from Summer 2021 (on Teams due to the ongoing pandemic). From top to bottom and left to right: Lad, Qingxiang, Akanksha, Taavishi, Jo, Trish, Bijaya, Reni, and Chelsea. Notpictured: Nahian.Photo of the Sharon research group of Summer 2020 from a Zoom screen capture with their favourite astronomy images as backgrounds. The Sharon Research Group from Summer 2020 (via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic). From left to right, top to bottom: Taavishi Jindel, Chelsea Sharon, M. Zirdi Syukur, Bijaya Luitel, Tabitha Carter, and Aaron Sean Tan Zenjie.Photo of the Sharon research group of Summer 2019 standing in the central part of Yale-NUS campus. The Sharon Research Group from Summer 2019. From left to right: Chelsea Sharon, Reni Chng, Taavishi Jindel, and Kebron Gurara. Not pictured: Alexander Reaves.

  • Qingxiang Chen, Yale-NUS College, Postdoctoral Scholar.
  • Bijaya Luitel, Yale-NUS College, Capstone Project, Summer Research Program, & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Reni Chng, Yale-NUS College, Post-bac research assistant, Summer Research Program, & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Guo Ziting, Yale-NUS College, Capstone Project.
  • Akanksha Choski, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Uladzamir Treihis, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Joleen Teo Sze Min, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Nahian Chowdhury, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Trishan Motonoya, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Tabitha Carter, Yale-NUS College, Capstone Project.
  • Aaron Sean Tan Zenjie, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program.
  • M. Zirdi Syukur, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Taavishi Jindel, Yale-NUS College, Post-bac research assistant, Capstone Project, Student-Initiated Summer Research Program, & hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Kebron Gurara, Yale-NUS College, hourly undergraduate research assistant.
  • Alexander Reaves, Yale-NUS College, Summer Research Program.
  • Riccardo Pavesi, Cornell University, PhD student (Faculty advisor: Dr. Dominik Riechers).
  • Renato Mazzei, University of Virginia, Cornell REU summer student (Faculty advisor: Dr. Dominik Riechers).
  • Sheri Lopez, University of New Mexico, Cornell REU summer student (Faculty advisor: Dr. Dominik Riechers).
  • Kirsten Hall, University of North Carolina, Rutgers REU and Rutgers Research in Science & Engineering summer student (Faculty advisor: Dr. Andrew J. Baker).
  • Whitney Kropat, University of Washington, Rutgers Research in Science & Engineering summer student (Faculty advisor: Dr. Andrew J. Baker).