As your instructor, my main goals are to
encourage you to become the best scholars you can be, and
help you develop into moral, ethical, confident, and resilient leaders.
I believe in the following four axioms for learning, teaching, and doing mathematics --- borrowed from Prof. Frederico Ardila:
Mathematical talent is distributed equally among different groups, irrespective of geographic, demographic, and economic boundaries.
Everyone can have joyful, meaningful, and empowering mathematical experiences.
Mathematics is a powerful, malleable tool that can be shaped and used differently by various communities to serve their needs.
Every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Moreover, it is important to acknowledge that whether your experience with mathematics has previously been positive/negative/neutral, EVERYONE can still look forward to present and future enjoyment of mathematics.
As such, I am committed to creating a classroom environment that welcomes, encourages, and supports the learning of all students. We all have implicit biases, and I will try to continually examine my judgments, words, and actions to treat everyone with the fairness and respect they deserve. I hope that you will do the same, and that you will let me know if there is anything I can do to make sure everyone is encouraged to learn, participate, and succeed in this class. You should feel free to discuss with me any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding this, and any other, aspect of the classroom environment.
Learning Assistance and Accommodations: If you have a disability that may require an accommodation for taking this course, please contact the Learning Assistance Center (336-758-5929) as soon as possible, and certainly before the first test.