Teaching Philosophy

Students never ask, "Why are we learning English? When will we ever use this?" But as a teacher of Mathematics, these are often questions I have to answer.  It's unfortunate that people fear math-- they think they are not good at or they do not have the mythical "math gene."  Somehow, these beliefs are something that many students learned throughout the years.

But there is no such thing as a "math gene" and everyone is capable of being good at mathematics.  In my classroom, I like to reward students for effort.  If they show me they want to learn and put in the necessary effort to do so, then they will learn.  I approach each class differently, each year, depending on who is in front of me--  I like to think that my classroom is not "cookie cutter."  Students enroll at Village all year long, so the student population is always changing, and that presents different challenges.  What might have worked last year or last week in a particular class might not work again this year or in the following year.  As I get to know my students, I develop a curriculum and a style of teaching that best suits them in that moment of time.

In my classroom, I hope that students who enjoy mathematics continue to enjoy it and feel challenged, and those who struggled or were afraid of it no longer see it as something to fear and realize that anybody can do math!

To answer the age-old question: When will I ever have to use this?  You will have to be a student in my class to find out the answer!