Teaching

I value teaching students as much as I value my own research. I do not believe the two are mutually exclusive, as I have countless experiences of gaining new insights from my students. I also had numerous moments—especially during my early years as a TA—when I failed to answer valid student questions, which all contributed to my own learning. These learnings and insights eventually helped me connect the dots in my own research, which is why I cannot place less value on students’ education than on my own research. The moment I start paying less attention to students’ education will be the moment I close myself off to new and creative perspectives shaped by diverse life experiences.

My first teaching experience as a PhD student was serving as a teaching assistant for Professor Marissa Brookes in her World Politics course in Fall 2022. Since then, I have served as either an instructor of record or a teaching assistant every quarter for courses including Labor and Globalization, Comparative Politics, Political Economy of International Migration, Politics of the Underdeveloped World, Globalization and Development, and many more. The full list of courses I have taught at UC Riverside can be found in my CV.

At UC Riverside, Teaching Assistants receive both numerical and written evaluations from students who choose to provide feedback each quarter. While both types of feedback may reflect positive or negative bias, they nonetheless offer valuable insights for course improvement. Figure 1 presents a numerical summary of selected evaluation questions from Fall 2022 to Spring 2025. I have also included a few comments that I particularly appreciated, most of which highlight the inclusive learning environment I strive to create. 

Figure 1. Student Evaluation Scores on Selected Questions (Fall 2022 – Spring 2025) 

Selected Student Comments – Original spelling and grammar preserved. 

Fall 2022 (POSC020-World Politics)

“Yoonsek was great, he really worked to cater to the needs of my discussion group in terms of what kind of help and support we needed to learn the material. He worked to make people more comfortable asking questions by making it anonymous and that really enabled me to ask questions since it usually makes me feel dumb. he reviewed material which was helpful especially if I had to miss a lecture due to unforseen circumstances as well.”

Winter 2023 (POSC017-Politics of the Underdeveloped World)

“I have a strong weakness with language barriers, so it was nice that I was able able to understand his English well. when people asked complicated answers, he was able to understand them, and answer them adequately. he was always there on time, and finished class with enough time to answer any quick questions. overall, great experience.”

Fall 2023 (POSC138S (Instructor) - Labor and Globalization)

“The class is set up very well. All of the material is informational, readings all help and relate to the lectures, The lectures are very thorough and easy to understand, very informative as well. Our professor answered all questions thoroughly and provided lots of knowledge with each answer and topic. Our professor really understands the subject and teaches it very well. Thank you!”

Spring 2024 (POSC160S-Globalization and Development)

“The instructor's teaching style was incredibly helpful for my learning. They presented the material clearly, answered questions patiently, and made the class engaging. Thanks to their efforts, I feel confident in my understanding of the subject.”

Fall 2024 (POSC015-Comparative Politics)

“Honestly, he is one of the BEST TAs I have encountered at UCR. He was not judgmental and his demeanor was extremely welcoming. While I struggled quite a bit to retain the information we were taught in class, he took an adequate amount of time to ensure his students understood the concepts discussed. Giving recaps and visual aids to see how the concepts related to issues nowadays made it easier to follow along. While not always excited to go to lecture, Yoonseok made discussion a fun and interactive class to attend. Knowing it was a judgment-free zone where we were allowed to email him questions we had while not feeling called out made him much more approachable. The way he ran his class was effective and reassuring. I hope future TAs have a similar structure to the way Yoonseok had because it truly made it that much more effective.”

Winter 2025 (POSC 160S-Globalization and Development)

“Yoonseok was a great ta. I love the fact that we got comments after our first exam so that we knew exactly what we needed to work on. The topics covered in sections were helpful and not redundant. You could tell that Yoonseok cared about our learning and I also love the fact that he attended all the lectures. I feel that as a student seeing out ta in the lectures shows that they care and want to keep their sections relevant instead of going to section and asking us what the professor has covered. He was very accessible even though I did not go and see him. The environment he cultivated in class was one that welcomed questions.”

“Yoonseok is very approachable and provides great feedback and help during office hours. I also notice him looking around the classroom when the Professor asks what topics we’re familiar/or struggling with and I think that makes him very in-tune with the needs of his sections. Overall, he is a great TA and among the best I’ve had.”

Spring 2025 (POSC 136S-Political Economy of International Migration)

“Yoonseok is an awesome TA. This is the second time I have taken class with him and the professor Steven Liao. He relays information well, and is very willing to help students with their work in detail. He puts in the dedication and its clear he really wants to see his students succeed. UCR political science division and its students are lucky to have Yoonseok as a TA.”