Teaching
Teaching Statement
I teach to empower students to apply the tools of economic reasoning and analysis to solve problems. To
achieve this, I engage with students as an equal partner in the learning process, always seeking to connect
material with their life experiences and motivate them to actively seek answers to their own questions. I have
served as a teaching assistant for a large share of undergraduate economics courses offered at UC Davis. I aim
to train students at the intersection of economic theory and empirical analysis, always with an eye on current
and future applicability. I would particularly enjoy teaching microeconomics, public economics, labor
economics, the economics of education, and econometrics.
My teaching philosophy is focused on three core ideas.
Contextualize course material with real life examples. A distinct feature of my pedagogy is bringing
tangible and real-world examples to every economic concept I teach. When I introduce price floors to students
in a "Principle of Microeconomics" course, I present the theory using minimum wage as an example and then
ask, "Does this hold in reality? Is minimum wage inefficient?" After letting students share their thoughts, I
summarize prior economic research -- such as Card and Krueger (1995) -- to get them thinking about how
economists try to answer these questions, creating a bridge from the abstract to reality. In this way, they
develop economic intuition and train themselves to become better practical problem solvers. In more advanced
classes, I've included my own research when teaching. When I was a teaching assistant for "Analysis of
Economic Data", I provided students with a cleaned and simplified version of the data I used in my own
research. I encouraged them to run their own regressions and try to answer their own questions about the world
of higher education. At the end of the class I introduced my research to them, and tasked them with recreating
my model to discuss the following week. Students told me that concepts that were difficult for them
before were much clearer after this exercise, and I loved being able to share my research with the students and
get them interested in applying economic theory to real examples.
Create an inclusive learning environment. I strive to create inclusivity both in what and how I teach. I bring
to the classroom respect and sensitivity towards the diverse cultural, economic, and social lives people lead,
and I encourage my students to do the same. I make a conscious effort to include the voices and opinions of
my students, and for them to listen and engage with the voices and opinions of others in the class. At the
beginning of the first discussion section for every class I teach, I ask students to introduce themselves and tell
me about their chosen majors, any hobbies they have, where they are from, and why they are taking this class.
For "Principles of Microeconomics" classes, I also ask students what they thought economics was when they
signed up for the class. The wide array of answers reminds students that they all bring a unique world-view to
the classroom, and that this diversity is an asset when applying the economic tools they will develop to their
own lives. I understand that students learn in different ways, and I strive to explain each concept through as
many lenses as possible to ensure that all students feel included in the experience. My goal for each topic I
teach is that every student feels that it is relevant and salient to them, so they stay engaged and connect to the
material personally. I encourage students to ask questions when theories I present challenge their ideas, and the respectful debate that follows enriches the learning experience many times over.
Use active-learning techniques in the classroom. I use active-learning techniques to stimulate learning. For
example, when I introduce the demand curve in “Principles of Microeconomics”, I pretend to auction my
phone and encourage students to bid on it at various prices. I also feign offence when students are unwilling to
purchase my used phone for exorbitant amounts, which always gets a laugh. I write these bids on the
chalkboard, and ask students to graph this relationship on their own. I ask them why more people are willing to
bid on my phone when it is cheaper, and what the fundamental relationship between price and quantity
demanded means. Doing this prevents demand from being just another definition they must memorize for
future exams, their active participation in the exercise makes demand tangible and easily applicable for future
problems.
achieve this, I engage with students as an equal partner in the learning process, always seeking to connect
material with their life experiences and motivate them to actively seek answers to their own questions. I have
served as a teaching assistant for a large share of undergraduate economics courses offered at UC Davis. I aim
to train students at the intersection of economic theory and empirical analysis, always with an eye on current
and future applicability. I would particularly enjoy teaching microeconomics, public economics, labor
economics, the economics of education, and econometrics.
My teaching philosophy is focused on three core ideas.
Contextualize course material with real life examples. A distinct feature of my pedagogy is bringing
tangible and real-world examples to every economic concept I teach. When I introduce price floors to students
in a "Principle of Microeconomics" course, I present the theory using minimum wage as an example and then
ask, "Does this hold in reality? Is minimum wage inefficient?" After letting students share their thoughts, I
summarize prior economic research -- such as Card and Krueger (1995) -- to get them thinking about how
economists try to answer these questions, creating a bridge from the abstract to reality. In this way, they
develop economic intuition and train themselves to become better practical problem solvers. In more advanced
classes, I've included my own research when teaching. When I was a teaching assistant for "Analysis of
Economic Data", I provided students with a cleaned and simplified version of the data I used in my own
research. I encouraged them to run their own regressions and try to answer their own questions about the world
of higher education. At the end of the class I introduced my research to them, and tasked them with recreating
my model to discuss the following week. Students told me that concepts that were difficult for them
before were much clearer after this exercise, and I loved being able to share my research with the students and
get them interested in applying economic theory to real examples.
Create an inclusive learning environment. I strive to create inclusivity both in what and how I teach. I bring
to the classroom respect and sensitivity towards the diverse cultural, economic, and social lives people lead,
and I encourage my students to do the same. I make a conscious effort to include the voices and opinions of
my students, and for them to listen and engage with the voices and opinions of others in the class. At the
beginning of the first discussion section for every class I teach, I ask students to introduce themselves and tell
me about their chosen majors, any hobbies they have, where they are from, and why they are taking this class.
For "Principles of Microeconomics" classes, I also ask students what they thought economics was when they
signed up for the class. The wide array of answers reminds students that they all bring a unique world-view to
the classroom, and that this diversity is an asset when applying the economic tools they will develop to their
own lives. I understand that students learn in different ways, and I strive to explain each concept through as
many lenses as possible to ensure that all students feel included in the experience. My goal for each topic I
teach is that every student feels that it is relevant and salient to them, so they stay engaged and connect to the
material personally. I encourage students to ask questions when theories I present challenge their ideas, and the respectful debate that follows enriches the learning experience many times over.
Use active-learning techniques in the classroom. I use active-learning techniques to stimulate learning. For
example, when I introduce the demand curve in “Principles of Microeconomics”, I pretend to auction my
phone and encourage students to bid on it at various prices. I also feign offence when students are unwilling to
purchase my used phone for exorbitant amounts, which always gets a laugh. I write these bids on the
chalkboard, and ask students to graph this relationship on their own. I ask them why more people are willing to
bid on my phone when it is cheaper, and what the fundamental relationship between price and quantity
demanded means. Doing this prevents demand from being just another definition they must memorize for
future exams, their active participation in the exercise makes demand tangible and easily applicable for future
problems.
Teaching Experience
United States Air Force Academy
Spring 2023 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
University of Nevada-Reno
Spring 2021 - Introduction to Economics
Spring 2021 - Principles of Microeconomics
Fall 2020 - Introduction to Economics
Fall 2020 - History of Economic Ideas
University of California-Davis
2022 Winter - Economics of Education
Spring 2023 - Intermediate Microeconomic Theory
University of Nevada-Reno
Spring 2021 - Introduction to Economics
Spring 2021 - Principles of Microeconomics
Fall 2020 - Introduction to Economics
Fall 2020 - History of Economic Ideas
University of California-Davis
2022 Winter - Economics of Education
Teaching Feedback
"The most qualified TA I've experienced thus far. Knows the material just as much as the professor does, leaving no space for confusion when questions are asked.”
“Max is super engaging in discussions and provides us with many ways to solve the same problem and I appreciated him doing this because I like knowing there are all kinds of ways to answer a question.”
“Very clear and relatable!”
“Max was very engaging and clearly showed how much he cared for the students in his discussion classes and in the course as well.”
“Everything he said made complete sense and deepened my understanding of the course material.”
“Max Mathias always provided the most clear explanations and very helpful examples, and definitely
made students feel comfortable to participate in discussions.”
“Max is going to make a great professor someday! He knows his material, is very approachable, and made Econ enjoyable for me.”
“Very personable and connects with his students very well!”
“Unlike other TAs I have seen, he really wanted us to understand the material.”
“Mr. Mathias is one of the most interactive and interesting TAs I've ever had. He's very confident on this material and very friendly and open to questions.”
“I got through this course because of you. I cannot thank you enough for that.”
“Personable and knows his stuff. This university should hire this man at the first available moment.”
“Max is super engaging in discussions and provides us with many ways to solve the same problem and I appreciated him doing this because I like knowing there are all kinds of ways to answer a question.”
“Very clear and relatable!”
“Max was very engaging and clearly showed how much he cared for the students in his discussion classes and in the course as well.”
“Everything he said made complete sense and deepened my understanding of the course material.”
“Max Mathias always provided the most clear explanations and very helpful examples, and definitely
made students feel comfortable to participate in discussions.”
“Max is going to make a great professor someday! He knows his material, is very approachable, and made Econ enjoyable for me.”
“Very personable and connects with his students very well!”
“Unlike other TAs I have seen, he really wanted us to understand the material.”
“Mr. Mathias is one of the most interactive and interesting TAs I've ever had. He's very confident on this material and very friendly and open to questions.”
“I got through this course because of you. I cannot thank you enough for that.”
“Personable and knows his stuff. This university should hire this man at the first available moment.”
Teaching Evaluations |