My 2 Most Memorable Math Teachers and Forming an Idea of Teaching

With a short period of time I wasn't able to write as much as I wanted to but it did jog memories of 2 memorable teachers that will hopefully influence my teaching techniques in a way.

One of the most memorable math teachers I had was actually the teacher who ignited the idea of teaching into me. He was my senior school math teacher. He was very knowledgeable, rarely saw him look through a book, and was very open to questions. He commanded great respect from the class and he in turn reciprocated that respect. At the same time he would always have a lighter side, alway open to joking around with the students and would try to include humour in his teachings.

Another teacher I had was in university. He wasn't as effective as a teacher to say the least. He was monotone, didn't seem to like to talk to the class. He wasn't too clear on his lessons and wasn't receptive to student's questions.


What I've taken from these 2 teachers is communication with the students is key. I'm pretty sure my university prof was more knowledgeable than my high school teacher, but he was not as approachable as my high school prof. Having that approachability is key so that if the students don't get the lessons or have any concerns, they will tell you rather than be lost and not have you know about it. Also a tiny thing like actually facing the class to project your voice is a big difference in these two teachers and something I look to emphasize on. Obviously I want to make the students feel comfortable and to express themselves, so having humour in the class is great. What I really took from my high school teacher is to have a good balance of humour and command. There's a time and place for jokes, appropriate jokes mind you, and there's times where you just have to buckle down and be serious. So these things are what I'm striving to take into teaching a class.