Teaching Assignments

Our course evaluations include a question labelled "What has been beneficial to your learning in the recitation/lecture?" and a question labelled "What could use some improvement?". I have included a response from each question in the dropdown tabs below.

MATH 106 Fall 2022 (Recitation TA)

Student Feedback
  • What has been beneficial?: "I enjoy how Ms. Podariu will explain all of the work in full detail. She helps me learn the concept better by taking her time with the details in each problem."
  • What could use improvement?: "Sometimes her explanations can be a little confusing. You can tell that she is very knowledgeable and smart in the subject of Calculus, but it can sometimes be hard for her to explain something in simple terms for students."

    • MATH 107 Spring 2023 (Recitation TA)

    Student Feedback
  • What has been beneficial?: "ana being able to answer questions that furthers my understanding of the topic that isn't necessarily required to teach but I enjoyed it. her patience with us was immaculate too"
  • What could use improvement?: "I feel like the problems we go over in recitation are not relevant information for exams. Also, I wish my recitation teacher would go over problems to make sure we did the problem correctly. Also, the recitation teacher is very polite and a good person, but sometimes I felt like explanations were very complex and didn’t make any sense (only made me more confused)."

    • MATH 106 Summer 2023 (Recitation TA)

    MATH 101 Fall 2023 (Instructor of Record)

    Student Feedback
  • What has been beneficial?: "She is always willing to help students with problems and explain them in many ways so that students are able to understand."
  • What could use improvement?: "Sometimes there is an easier way for problems instead of the more calculated technical version, and for me I like knowing the simplest way to solve problems with the fewest steps."

    • Topology Qualifer Workshop January 2024

    At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, graduate students are expected to pass two qualifying exams before their third year. Graduate students who have passed the workshop before are called upon to lead a workshop for students preparing to take it.

    MATH 102 Spring 2024 (Instructor of Record)

    Student Feedback
  • What has been beneficial?: "Prof. Podariu is always welcoming to questions and helping anyone who needs it, in and out of the classroom. In class, we're given many opportunities to ask questions one-on-one and in lecture settings. When I do my homework outside of class and I'm not sure what to do on a problem, I know I can email her and get a helpful, timely response."
  • What could use improvement?: "I know there's not much one can do with a pre-decided math program to have students learn from and not very flexible curriculum, but I feel there could be improvement in ways of explaining concepts and helping students really absorb the information. I took a college Trigonometry class in high school, so it was a lot easier for me to pick stuff up, as a lot of it was either just review or a slight extension from concepts I was already familiar with(though not the easiest sometimes with little explanation); I don't see the most successful track for students who are new to Trig, as most are who take this class. Simply giving more explanations for more complicated concepts, and maybe some notes or advice that made this easier for Prof. Podariu to learn these concepts when she did could make a big difference in students' ability to learn and apply the material. Overall, I found the materials adequate, but I would've appreciated a few options other than sometimes unclear explanations on concepts given in notes."

    • MATH 106 Fall 2024 (Associate Convener, Graduate Teaching Assistant)

    Student Feedback
  • What has been beneficial?: "Ana is the best math TA I could have asked for. She genuinely cares about students' understanding of concepts if they are willing to put in the effort. Her explanations of said concepts are also greatly helpful. All in all, whether it's in recitation or at office hours, I always feel welcome to ask for help and Ana is always happy to help. I never needed to go to our professor's office hours because Ana was the best math help I could ask for. I definitely recommend her as a TA, (not that she needs any recommendation)."
  • What could use improvement?: "Sometimes there is too much extra time."

    • MATH 106 Spring 2025 (Associate Convener, Graduate Teaching Assistant)

    Student Feedback
  • What has been beneficial?: "She is really good at math and is always on top of helping any of the students in the recitation. She always reminds us when she is available for office hours, as well as being incredibly flexible with those hours"
  • What could use improvement?: "No notes. Goated TA"