Scratch Coding & the Engineering Design Process (Intermediate, Flex Class)

Hello there! My name is Afifa Saleem. I enjoy covering topics and skills in Sciences, Coding and Math for all ages - especially while integrating engineering design thinking within these topics. I help prepare students for a potential career in engineering that is intentional, self-empowering and socially conscious. I also love to talk about my personal experiences as a female engineering student of colour and bring this energy to my classes!

I have completed a Masters in Biomedical Engineering, after a Bachelors in Engineering Science, both at University of Toronto. I have been tutoring and teaching formally and informally for over 10 years. My earliest experiences include one-on-one tutoring in STEAM topics, while my most recent and ongoing experiences include teaching week-long STEM camps and being a Teaching Assistant at University of Toronto. I am excited to be sharing relevant knowledge and my experiences in research with my students!

In my classes, I encourage students to ask questions that drive the learning process. Asking questions and trying to solve them as a group brings about confidence in students to tackle larger issues, and also allows for me to gauge student interests and understanding. I appreciate when students leave my classroom with new curiosities and I often try to prepare them with the mindset, skills and resources to address these curiosities on their own. 

When I am not teaching or doing research, you will find me practicing various art forms, riding a bike or spending time with my family and friends! 

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Class Guidelines: 
1. If a class does not meet the minimum enrollment requirements, I will contact the parents and learners to confirm they want to continue class 24 hours before class is scheduled to begin. I will teach the class unless the parent or learner requests otherwise. 

2. Classes will begin 5 minutes past the start time, unless all learners are present earlier. 

3. If no learners are in the classroom, I will wait 10 minutes before exiting the classroom. In this situation, I will contact the families after I have left the classroom to transfer learners to a new section, if needed.