In college, I majored in pure math and was involved in teaching and research as an undergrad TA. After I graduated, I took a break from being a student and taught at a private high school in Syracuse, New York. The school didn’t require state exams, so we had academic freedom and could try different strategies. I connected well with experienced teachers, learned a lot, and had two creative years in the classroom.

After that, I returned to grad school in 2020 for a master’s degree in math, planning to pursue a PhD. I passed my prelims but I really missed teaching. So I stopped there and decided to pursue the classroom again. I knew teaching was my path, and although the pandemic made job hunting difficult, I eventually joined the University of Utah and I’m happy with where I landed.

In my own classes I use humor and welcome mistakes as learning opportunities. When a student offers an incorrect answer, I thank them and turn it into a teachable moment. That approach helps reduce anxiety around being wrong.

When students tell me they used to be afraid of math but now enjoy it, that’s incredibly rewarding. I know many people carry bad math experiences, but I believe hard work matters more than innate talent. If you’re willing to put in effort—you’ll succeed.

Teaching itself is performative: engaging students requires creativity and a willingness to embrace other parts of myself beyond math. Art keeps me balanced and reinforces that stepping outside your comfort zone is essential.

Outside teaching, I serve on the Belonging Community Committee, which advocates for every group in the department. We helped secure a gender-neutral bathroom and continue to work on inclusivity. I’ll also be mentoring incoming graduate student instructors this year.

Looking ahead, I want to improve my coordination skills—especially strategies for handling instructor-student conflicts and making courses run more efficiently. In my own teaching, I’m exploring ways to integrate innovative practices into large lectures without sacrificing content or timeline.

by Dalyana Guerra, assistant professor of mathematics, from Syracuse, New York.