Maths, The Builder

Mathematics has always been my favourite subject and I have come to realise the importance of mathematics in everyday life, a base to so many subject areas such as physics and engineering.

In the course of teaching these various courses in different roles, I have learned the obvious lesson that there is no single strategy or `philosophy` of teaching that can be cut and pasted into any classroom. At the same time, there are certain styles of presentation and interaction that have proven themselves more successful over the years.

Working as a tutor and teaching to just one or a few students affords us the ability to listen carefully to everything the students have to say. Students usually feel more uninhibited to voice their suspicions and guesses with a smaller number of people. With a larger audience and a course which begins and ends in a single term, this approach must be compromised. There is never enough time to explore every blind alley and curious guess that occurs to us. It is still the responsibility of the instructor to ask questions and to tell an engaging story, but with the constraints of time they must choose with care the details to be omitted or simplified. Careful preparation and organization are crucial at this level. Any lesson plan or lecture is only as good as the instructor`s ability to capture and hold the attention of the students. I move across the board, from one side of the room to the other, toward students and around them, in an effort to maintain the momentum of the conversation. I speak with volume and clarity, and I always try to remain mindful of language.

I believe neither teaching nor learning can exist without the other. Mathematics is about questions (and about answering those questions!), and students should be reminded of this. I encourage students to help other students, and this forces them to structure a small lecture in their minds. The proper organization of ideas required of and resulting from this process is a large part of understanding mathematics.