My Favourite and Least Favourite Math Teacher

Looking back at my previous math teachers, one quality that stands out the most is when the teachers were enthusiastic and created a fun classroom environment. I think this is important because it allows learning about something as boring as math to be interesting. It also encouraged students to learn more and be more curious about math. For example, one of my high school math teachers would always come up with creative math games and projects to keep us engaged in the material. I believe another important quality that my previous teachers had was they were caring and patient. I remember not understanding one of the units in my math class, so I went to ask for help after school and my teacher was more than happy to help. He took the time to make sure I really understood the topic. In fact, he realized I didn’t understand the way he taught the topic in class so instead, he explained it in a couple different ways to ensure I understood. I think that this experience was a great teaching moment because it showed me that not all students learn and think in the same manner. I appreciated this teacher taking time out to show me that there are multiple ways to learn something. Another one of my math favourite teachers took the time and showed a personal interest in each one of her students. For example, one time I didn’t do well on one of my math tests and she noticed this. She approached me after school and asked me what happened as this test wasn’t some of my best work. I had told her that I had another test that day so I didn’t study as much for the math test. She then replied with I know you can do better so in a couple days come in and rewrite the test. Now, reflecting back on this experience it showed that this teacher cared and wanted the best for me. She knew what I was capable of and did her best to help me achieve it.

My least favourite math teacher was from a high school math class that only consisted of the teacher lecturing and assigning textbook questions for homework. I remember his classes were the hardest to learn anything because they were very boring and the easiest to zone out of. I also think his lack of enthusiasm for the topic made it hard to learn and be interested in what he had to say. He also came across as unapproachable so I was afraid to ask questions or ask for help. I would then usually end up learning everything he taught on my own. Another one of my least favourite teachers was from my university classes and it was because this teacher was very disorganized. He always seemed unprepared and scattered for class and that made it difficult to understand and learn from him. He also didn’t provide feedback on the assignments on time so his expectations were unclear. The lack of feedback and communication made it hard to grasp what I needed to know and the topics I needed to improve on.

I think the biggest takeaway from these reflections on my previous experiences is the way teachers act and behave plays a major role in learning in a classroom. A teacher that is engaging, patient and caring provides the opportunity to inspire and motivate their students to want to learn rather than making them learn.