May 2024 Teacher-Scholar Spotlight: Grant Barkley

Welcome to the newest edition of our Teacher-Scholar Spotlight, illuminating PhD students’ insights on teaching and learning! Each month we’ll share the experiences of PhD students who have engaged in Bok Center programming and what they’ve learned about and from teaching.

Grant Barkley, G4 in Mathematics

Summarize your research in 2 sentences.

I study highly symmetric arrangements of points in space, called root systems. The root systems with finitely many points are well-understood, but there are many mysteries involving infinite root systems, and these are what I work on.

What have you learned from teaching?

I've learned that students learn math most effectively by getting their hands on problems or questions that require key concepts to solve or understand. As a teacher, I should be there as a guide, equipping students with the tools they need to approach problems, ask questions, make headway, collaborate, and have confidence in their abilities.

How did you get involved with the Bok Center?

I wanted to improve my teaching, and I realized that the Bok Center seminars were an opportunity I would only have while still a grad student here. So I signed up!

What is something you learned in a Bok Seminar that you’ll use in the future?

In the Bok Seminar "Taking Your Teaching to the Next Level," I learned how to receive feedback on my teaching -- both literally, like getting a video consultation or requesting mid-semester feedback from students, and figuratively, like how to benefit even from feedback that provokes an emotional response. I was able to use this feedback to shape my teaching philosophy and see which aspects of my teaching were working well towards that philosophy and which aspects should be changed.

What would you say to PhD students about why they should get involved with the Bok Center?

Teaching is an important aspect of most PhD programs, and for those students going on to academia or education, it will be an important part of the rest of your life. This is probably the only time you will have access to free seminars and resources for improving your teaching -- take advantage of it!

What’s a fun fact about yourself?

I've competed on a television game show.

Have you been working with the Bok Center this year? Do you want to be featured in the Teacher-Scholar spotlight? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch!