Anuraag Sensharma

Describe your current teaching assignment:

H-B Woodlawn is an alternative public school program that focuses on building student autonomy into their learning. I am entering my fourth year teaching there, and this year will teach Introductory Physics, AP Physics C (Mechanics), and EL Physics (for English Language Learners).

How did the Noyce program prepare you for this assignment?

There was a strong focus in the Noyce program on the importance of building relationships with a students from a variety of backgrounds, and that skill and disposition has been key to supporting the variety of students that I teach. The introductory psychology of memory and learning that we got in "How Students Learn" has given me a framework and repertoire of learning strategies that I can use to respond to students as I get to know them individually.

I have been exploring portfolio-based grading to allow students to have more of a voice in their assessments, and therefore in how they structure their learning throughout a unit. Parts of my practicum and coursework helped provide frameworks to connect instruction and assessment, and thinking about these two parts of my teaching in conjunction with one another has helped me grow in my teaching overall.

What has the Noyce program meant to you?

The practicum and cohort discussions I have had as a part of the Noyce program has given me a window into many different types of schools, and has driven home for me the inequalities that exist in how we educate students from different backgrounds. The people in my cohort, as well as my professors, showed how important a strong support system is in enjoying teaching while constantly reflecting and growing.