Tyler McMaken

Tyler McMaken

Astrophysicist · Musician · Educator

Teaching

Current

For the Summer 2024 A Term, I am teaching PHYS 1110 (General Physics 1). All course materials can be found on Canvas.


Past Classes

Below is a list of the classes I have taught, co-taught, or TA'd in the past at the University of Colorado Boulder:

PHYS 1110: General Physics 1
PHYS 1120: General Physics 2
  • 2019 Spring - syllabus (TA)
  • 2024 Spring (TA)
PHYS 1230: Light and Color
PHYS 1240: Sound and Music
PHYS 1400: Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry (webpage)
PHYS 4450/5450: History and Philosophy of Physics

Hybrid class during the pandemic with an interactive lecture demo on radio waves for PHYS 1230: Light and Color.
Demonstrating the theremin for the students of PHYS 1240: Sound and Music.
Demonstrating standing waves for a group of middle school students at an orchestra concert.


Teaching Philosophy

My goal as a teacher is first and foremost to make sure that every student has the opportunity to be actively involved in the learning process as an eager participant. The most effective way for a student to learn physics in the classroom is not to sit passively listening to a lecture, but rather to ask questions, make observations, and actively solve problems with peers in order to gain a conceptual understanding rather than settle for rote memorization or an abstract perception. For some courses I teach, students engage in hands-on group projects throughout the semester, and for other courses, I consistently use clicker questions and peer discussion to check student understanding and promote active learning. My goal in teaching is that students would be able to engage directly in the scientific process, learning by doing and being immersed in a scientific environment so that they do not feel like an outsider.

In order to ensure that students are eager participants in the learning process, I also make sure they are learning material that interests them. In all my classes that I am able, I survey the students to ask what they are most interested in learning, and I provide flexibility in the course schedule to cover topics in which the students are actually invested. I also value consistent feedback from the students, whether it's a mid-semester survey, course check-in questions on homework sets, or mid-class polls. No teacher is perfect, and I am continually learning from my students how to be a better teacher.

Anonymous feedback from students:
  • "THIS MAN IS AN AMAZING TEACHER, I absolutely HATED physics and somehow he never failed to make the course fun and interactive. Give him a raise."
  • "Tyler McMaken was one of the nicest and most understanding professors I have had at CU. He is always there to help and answer questions and sets his students up to succeed. It is challenging material, but made easier through his teaching style."
  • "He has been honestly the best professor I've ever had so far at CU Boulder. You can definitely see he really cares about what he is teaching and each and every student in his class."
  • "Professor McMaken is an AMAZING teacher overall! He's super kind and respectful to everyone and it is very evident that he's incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about what he's teaching which kept me super engaged throughout the semester. It was also very clear that he really wanted to help all of his students thrive in the class and he did that very effectively[...] He also really created a sense of community amongst the students by encouraging us to work together with a group throughout every class, which also helped keep me engaged and excited about class and helped me perform well.
Teaching Portfolio:

The following portfolio was assembled in fulfillment of the Certificate in College Teaching offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning at CU Boulder. Among other things, it contains a teaching philosophy statement, a diversity statement, and a collection of resources related to my past teaching experiences.
(Click here to view in browser.) 

Last updated: 11 Jun 2024