Two Memorable Math Teachers

Throughout my career in school I have had a few really great math teachers.  The following are two of my favourite teachers and what made them so great in my eyes:

Mrs. Flower: My grade 9 math teacher was enthusiastic about her job.  She seemed excited about all of the math we were learning and wasn't afraid to let us know how much she loved math.  At the beginning of the year she gave out her home phone number and encouraged us to call her if we had any problems with the homework.  She congratulated anyone who did well on a test, but if anyone failed they would be moved up to the front of the class.  She claimed that studies how have shown that students who sit at the front of the class do better in school than those who don't.  She seemed to care a lot about us and was always in a good mood.



Laura: In my first geometry class at UBC my prof was amazing.  She was always happy to be there and always excited about what she was teaching.  She made effort to teach effectively and it made the class easy to come to.  Every third class we spent doing group worksheets instead of being lectured to.  The worksheets encouraged hands-on learning and made connections between the material we were learning throughout the year.

The math teachers that made the most impact on me seem to have one main thing in common: they loved math.  Not only did they love math but they weren't afraid to tell students how amazing they thought it was, even if it was clear the students didn't agree.  Their excitement and enthusiasm was really contagious in the classes and I found myself being more excited to come knowing that it wouldn't feel like a "boring" class.  As a teacher, I want to show my students that math can be fun and exciting.  I know that not everyone will love - or even like - math, but the majority of the class will benefit from seeing at least one person who doesn't think math is "useless" or "boring".