Below are some random thoughts about my forty years as a mathematics teacher.
Jesus Christ is the Master Teacher. I tried my best to emulate him.
Jesus was a teacher who was patient and kind.
Jesus was a teacher who taught with compassion and love.
Jesus was a teacher who challenged his followers.
Jesus was a teacher who was knowledgeable in his subject and taught the scholars in the temple.
Jesus was a teacher with a unique style. He often used stories or parables to get his point across. His Sermon on the Mount is
one of the most significant lessons ever taught.
Jesus was a teacher who taught by placing people first. He was a good listener.
I tried to create in my students a favorable attitude towards mathematics.
I would tell my A.P. Calculus students that the three biggest factors in being successful were:
ATTITUDE, WORK ETHIC, and ATTENDANCE.
My philosophy of life, like my blood type, is "Be Positive."
Keeping student attitudes positive is vital to their success in learning.
Charles Swindoll said that "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it."
George Bernard Shaw wrote in his 1903 play Man and Superman,
"He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches." Naturally, I do not believe that. Rather, I believe that "he who can, teaches; he who cannot teach, does something
less significant."
The best math teachers are those who teach math because they can do math. It is by their doing that students are led to understanding and subsequent
learning. The effective math teacher is one who engages students in the process of math -- questioning and formulating hypotheses.
As a teacher, I must relate to my students my love for mathematics. I must motivate them to learn by engaging them actively in the process of learning.
It is necessary for me to read, conjecture, investigate, and learn math throughout my life so that I can impart the subject to those I teach. Some of the
best lessons occurred when a student asked a question that I didn't know right off the top of my head. So they were able to see me analyze the problem and
watch my techniques as we tried to solve the problem together. It's good for the students to see that. Then they're really seeing me not just as the
teacher and authority figure, but as a student of the discipline as well. With mathematics, the trying, the attempting, even the failing is often extremely
important in the overall learning process.
I must remind myself that I am first and foremost a teacher of mathematics, and then a
mathematician. The distinction is important. It is not enough to know your material cold. To teach, you have to be excited about your field and be able
to get the kids turned on to it.
My main objective in all my classes was to get my students to think. I always had high expectations for my students. I believe a teacher's
expectations can influence the behavior and performance of the students.
I love to teach. I am enthusiastic about my subject matter. But learning mathematics does not come easy for many students. A good work ethic must
accompany a good attitude. As Euclid said, "There is no Royal Road to Geometry." You must be willing to put in the hours.