Matthew Bachmann

A picture of Matthew Bachmann


I care deeply about my role as an instructor in the classroom. I agree with the adage "mathematics is not a spectator sport"– so the main challenge in the classroom is figuring out how to foster genuine participation. I believe that in order for a student to participate they must first feel valued and respected. This is why my main goal while teaching is to develop an environment that is welcoming and collaborative. A space where students feel comfortable with exploaration is a space where learning happens best.


At Davidson College:

Spring 2024

Fall 2023

At UNL:

In these courses I focused on an active learning classroom structure. A usual class day comprised of students completing group work interspersed with short class discussions to introduce definitions or do examples. For many courses, worksheets had been developed by UNL to facilitate active learning, though these had not yet been developed for Math 203J, Math 107, or Math 104 (Summer 2019, Spring 2020). For those semesters I produced my own daily worksheets to guide group discussions and scaffold the course content.


Associate Convener

For the Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 semester I have the opportunity to oversee the Calculus I recitation instructors. I asked to take on this role because I'm excited to provide mentorship to those new to teaching. Most recitation instructors are first year graduate students or undergraduates and so they have little to no experience teaching. The associate convener is responsible for running weekly meetings to discuss course logistics and provide advice on how to introduce topics. The associate convener also does teaching observations for those new to teaching. We then have a follow-up teaching conversation to discuss how the class is going.


Course Work

In Math 996 we explored various topics related to research and theories on student learning accross grade levels and content areas. Math 896 is a pedagogy course that all second year gratuate students take at UNL. It is meant to be an introduction to mathematics education.


Teaching Assistant

As a recitation leader I facilitated group discussions among students in order to help them deepen their understanding of the content.