Teaching

I have taught math and economics at the University of Nevada, Reno since the Fall of 2021.

Before that, I tutored undergraduate math and statistics, during which time I developed a compendium of tutoring reference materials for the most commonly difficult math concepts that students encounter in their lower division math courses.

I also wrote and hosted the annual UNR Integration Bee.

Courses Taught

Precalculus I (MATH 126 & 126E)

Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 102)

Intermediate Microeconomics (ECON 302)


An anonymized breakdown of students' grade outcomes is available at NevadaPath.

Philosophy on Teaching Math

Many students view math class as an uncomfortable and unsavory means to an end. Often, I find that these attitudes are provoked by students' negative experiences with math in the past. I believe that these experiences are a primary contributor to the establishment of learning gaps among students, and how students respond to these negative experiences reinforces those learning gaps in a self-perpetuating cycle.

Encountering negative student attitudes like these has shaped my overarching philosophy towards how I teach math: I must bring a sense of humanity to my learning spaces so that students feel seen, understood, and supported. Accomplishing this requires shaping my pedagogical approaches and language to meet students where they are, in terms of both their current abilities and their confidence. From there, I can act as a guide towards their independence as problem-solvers and, in doing so, foster growth-oriented mindsets among my students that extend far beyond the walls of the classroom.

By exercising care and thoughtfulness regarding my students' abilities and confidence as they learn, I help to bridge learning gaps, contribute to closing the equity gap, and empower students of all sorts of backgrounds. In addition, I have seen student attitudes change from seeing math as a necessary evil to seeing math as something that can both be managed and appreciated. Thus far, students have responded enthusiastically to my teaching style, reporting that through my teaching, I dispel the common myth that math is just about "right answers" and instead reinforces the narrative that math is built upon playing with tools and processes so that they can identify patterns, make connections, and solve problems.


Student Feedback

The following comments are from students' anonymous evaluations of my teaching. These types of comments fuel my passion for teaching.

"This instructor’s teaching is incredibly clear. He breaks down the criteria and material that is needed for this course in multiple different ways which is extremely helpful. He is also easy to get in communication with when necessary." —Fall 2021

"Teaching was consistent and thorough. Felt like the instructor had full mastery of the content and explained it in detail beyond what the lecture slides provided. The expectations were straightforward and fair, with excellent modern options for communication and questions beyond lecture." —Fall 2021

 "I enjoyed when we were shown problems outside of the slides, and possibly even real life problems. It made the math seem more useful and make more sense overall. The professor occasionally would make pretty funny remarks, and kept the class less stressful than my math classes have been in the past." —Fall 2022

"The instructor knew the content well and had the student’s best interests in mind. This was clear given the lessons he created himself and did not use the slides provided to him. I felt like the lessons he explained himself are consepts[sic] I grasped easier." —Fall 2022

"I was amazed to hear about how many people disliked microeconomics in other professor’s classes. Brandon Harnish made the content of this course digestible, related it’s content to real world events, and made me have fun learning in a class I didn’t see myself enjoying." —Fall 2023

"I thought Prof. Harnish by far has been the best math instructor that I have ever had. I thought his strength in teaching was being able provide clear and concise instruction per section. Also he was very realistic and generous which allowed me to place my faith in him as a professor here at UNR. Lastly, I think his discernment skills are worth mentioning. I think it’s important to know what is necessary and unnecessary to teach because it saves everyone’s time and energy." —Fall 2023

"Mr Harnish has somehow turned a subject that I hate with a passion into something I look forward to getting better at. My entire life I have always been good at math but I have always hated it, and as a consequence, the past few years have been a struggle to go to class, learn, etc. This year that all changed, I fell in love with his class lectures and finally am eager to learn and get better at it. I can't say enough good things about Mr Harnish as an instructor, as not only does he teach with passion and knowledge, but he's extremely friendly, relatable, and treats everyone with respect. He has been my favorite professor over the past 4-5 years I have been in college, both here and community college previously." —Fall 2023

"Professor Harnish is one of the best teachers/professors I have ever had. He broke down problems step by step, and always answered questions even if that had been asked previously. The lessons in class especially the reviews help prepare you for quizzes/tests very well. He obviously wants his students to succeed, and is doing an exceptional job of it." —Fall 2024

"This professor was great. Genuinely one of the (if not the) best teachers/professors that I've ever had the pleasure of learning from. Very clear on what he expected, very considerate of everyone's challenges, provided extra help to students who needed it, etc. Easily the best at what he does. I wish I could have this professor every semester." —Fall 2024