One thing I learned from my math education professor is to always try and get all students to feel comfortable with you. Meaning, I would want to be non-intimidating and approachable. This advice heavily influenced how I teach and how I structure my lecture notes. Anxiety is the biggest obstacle for all STEM students, especially the fear of being wrong. Minimizing this for students is my number one priority. In fact, I can resonate with this based on my past experiences, so I truly understand how negative it can affect someone’s learning. But from all the amazing math professors that helped me enjoy my math courses and shaped my mentality, I learned how to best teach, engage, and support my students.
One of the most comforting things I heard was from one of the best math olympiad coaches, Po-Shen Loh, who stated that if you can solve it, that’s amazing, but if you can’t, that’s "normal". Thinking about it deeply, this is very true, and it’s a great reminder and reassurance for students to keep persevering. When doing example problems, I like to sort of pretend that I don’t know and that I’m at the same level as my students. That way, it’s like we’re all discovering the solution together. It makes struggling students not feel left out. And when students do struggle, it’s important to remind them that it’s normal. It’s also important for students to understand why the problem is hard and identify what that barrier is that’s preventing them from getting to their solution. That way, we can soon learn to break that barrier. This will effectively make students remember their mistakes, understand why we use our methods, and easily memorize special mathematical techniques.
I am a very enthusiastic person when it comes to teaching mathematics. When starting a lesson, I would always introduce my students to an interesting problem or a real-life situation to hook the learners. This would help motivate them to focus on the concept and give a sense of why it is important to know. Then, I would give important definitions and properties related to our lesson, as well as explaining each of them in more detail. After that, I would provide walkthrough examples followed by workout exercises to have students gain some experience on these concepts and understand how each definition and theorem is applied to these problems. This process would then be repeated in next topics.
For some occasional topics, I would use different methods for lecture or for problem exercises. One example is going on VR and utilizing 3D colored markers to help visualize and explain volumes of revolution. An example for practicing problems is by gamification: using bit.ly links to make a Google Drive math escape room, or using Kahoot!. For application problems, I would have students in groups based on their field of interest. Then, they would roleplay as a mathematician, engineer, scientist, or finance. Each would help each other trying to solve the applied problem based on their job field. For example, one group of students who majors in business would work on the maximization of profits while one group of students who majors in engineering would work on maximizing the area given the amount of finite fences.
I will always try to make the most fun out of my class. School can be stressful enough, and I would like to be that one professor that can help lighten up the mood. As fun as I try to be, I want my appearance approachable so that students don’t hesitate to reach out for help. I make sure that when I’m explaining things, my language is at the appropriate math level where students don’t feel intimidated nor outcasted. When solving math problems in my example, I’ll always express how difficult the problem can be. It helps show that students aren’t struggling alone, and that their classmates and I are on the same boat. It also helps them be aware of common mistakes, avoid math traps, and boosts their confidence. Not only do I want my course to be meaningful, but also a safe, comforting place for all kinds of students.
No matter how long I teach, I will always keep learning. Engaging with a diverse group of students helps me experience a variety of ways people can think mathematically, and also helps me find different ways I can effectively teach. There is never an upper bound in my teaching development; I’ll always be constantly learning, from this generation of students, to the next. Every feedback I earn helps me evolve my teaching methods and consider things I may not ever think of. My TA experience has definitely given me a fresh start of what it takes to be a math professor. I’ve gotten a habit into preparing lecture notes and materials, attending conferences and peer meetings, and utilizing Discord to easily communicate with students from miles away. All of the above have shaped my skills and enhanced my passion for teaching.
My goal for the class is to help best provide the necessary tools for their career path while simultaneously giving them a positive experience throughout the course. I hope to give a huge impact to over millions of students; giving them memorable moments in their education and in their lives. Not only hoping that I am ‘at least funny’, but that I inspired them enough to innovate deeper into mathematics and other interest fields.