Teaching mathematics

The following text is a translated version of a post at tjuvlyssnat.se which publish overheard conversations which are considered funny. Pay them a visit if you can read Swedish, some are quite amusing.

\begin{translation}
One might wonder whether or not it sounded worse this time...
On a train from Linköping to Norrköping.
Two girls about 23 years old and probably teacher students are discussing teaching.
Girl 1: It was so embarrassing, last week when I went with Lisa...
Girl 2: Umm?
Girl 1: Yes, we were discussing whether or not we could "fill in" during a math lesson. And there was a guy opposite of us, he was clearly listening to our conversation.
Girl 2: Mmm...
Girl 1: Well, we came to talk about how to divide by zero. Three divided by zero has to be three, five divided by zero must be five.
Girl 2: Mmm...
Girl 1: Then we notice that the guy barely can keep himself from laughing. Oh, we must have seemed so stupid... Three divided by zero must of course be zero.
Girl 2: Yes, it has to be, haha!
Girl 1: We felt so embarrassed!
\end

I really hope that all teacher students who are to teach mathematics are not like this. I have had math teachers that barely can cope with math at a middle school level. The class was at a virtual stand-still for a week when he filled in. Math, like any other subject needs motivated and well educated teachers... otherwise we end up with people in their twenties who still don't know the basic rules of division *shivers*.

Link to the Swedish version.

Nominated

Last September I began my "career" as a teachers assistant. I have had a lot of fun teaching, preparing for lessons, doing overtime since some students won't finish their Python labs on time (in particular I remember a 2 1/2 h session of debugging and explaining, but in the end she got that program working as it should and hopefully she learned a lot) and answering odd questions by e-mail and IRC during weekends. If my memory doesn't fail me, I have mentioned that I love this. But some things are worth mentioning twice.

Recently CSC announced this years winner of the Gerd Eriksson price for best teachers assistant of the year. I didn't win, but that doesn't matter. What does matter to me was that I was nominated, someone or some persons took the time to write a letter about what I did well. That brings you warm feeling and once again it makes me want to become even better. I got some blackboard chalk from Gerd herself (she is a teacher at CSC), I believe that my handwriting might improve using a thick kind of chalk and I think my handwriting is terrible. Perhaps I should also practice on blackboard disposition? *ponders* It's a bit like being on stage but I am less nervous about it. What should I do to become a better teacher?

Why does seeing their smiling faces when they reach understanding make me smile? Am I gifted? I just can't believe that I am. Practice makes perfect I hope, both for teachers and students. For now, I will enjoy the moment and be truly happy about it.

"Charming"? I must say that no one has ever called me charming before *continues to ponder*.

What makes a lecturer happy

I know, I know... it was only a few moments since the last post but I am in the mood of writing things down. I guess I am a bit emotional right now.

I hold lectures in a course concerning Introduction to Computer Science, this mostly involves general programming practice but also some algorithms. I hold practice lectures for smaller groups around ten people. I now have about four months of experience and I hope that I am getting better and better by the day.

This term I have been forced to move my group from the morning to the afternoon. I have lectures an Algorithms Data structures and Complexity, *sigh* if only it wouldn't have been a lecture I would have skipped it. Along with this a few other lecturers have quit for this term, since they didn't have time to teach. This lead to two small groups splitting up and having to spread out among the other groups and my old group having to switch to my new afternoon group. A bit chaotic yes, and a bit hard to see my point but we'll get there.

A lot of the members of my old group was not happy about me leaving, they seemed to like me. Although, in my view I am confused, has a terrible handwriting, sometimes has a hard time to get to the point, gets lost in my own sentences, etc etc. That made me happy, but I expected most of them to still take the morning lecture to avoid having a two hour schedule gap. Seven of them still attended this Thursday... that really touched my heart. It makes you feel all warm inside and motivates you even more to see if you might even be able to make further improvements. They are a nice bunch, really good CS students over all.

Now, as if this wasn't enough later that evening I was asked if I could take in even more members. I had one of the groups that lost their lecturer for one lesson back in October. And now about six of them wanted to join my group... MY group?! I couldn't believe this at first, I mean... I deeply respect the other lecturers and consider most of them to be far better than me... and they asked ME?! My world spun once or twice. They even told me why they prefer me, I was shocked to say the least. I will not mention why and who they prefer me to... but I just couldn't believe it and I still can't quite grip it. This is a great responsibility, I know that I can improve and perhaps I then can teach them even more. I truly am one happy lecturer at this point, perhaps I have found something that I am good at... maybe *smiles*.