Introspective writing: Favourite and least favourite math teachers

During my undergraduate studies, I had both one of my favorite math teachers and one of my least favorite ones. Interestingly, my favorite was not an instructor but a course coordinator. The course focused on teaching mathematical knowledge by explaining concepts through 10–15-minute videos. Creating a video was challenging because it required a solid understanding of the material as well as a clear structure to present it. My coordinator patiently watched my videos multiple times and gave me detailed feedback, which guided me to think more creatively about teaching. I still keep those videos in my folder, and they continue to encourage me in my journey to becoming a teacher. 

One of my least favorite teachers was the instructor for a course on stochastic processes. The subject itself was very abstract, and most of us in the class struggled to follow. Although the teacher was extremely knowledgeable, we found it difficult to keep up with her thoughts or even to take clear notes in class. As a result, my classmates and I often had to study together afterwards, trying to make sense of the notes and explain the content to each other. It felt as though the teacher and the students were living in two different worlds, which left me frustrated with the course. 

As a future math teacher, I hope to approach teaching in a way that inspires students’ interest and curiosity. I don’t want to teach my students math as simply copying notes or repeating exercises, but more importantly, is aim to help students understand concepts at the core of mathematics.