Rookie Teacher Memories

Rookie Teacher Memories

As a new teacher in a very large suburban Chicago high school with 99% of the students headed for the colleges of their choice, I had my challenges. The students were smart and privileged. I was young and naive.

Algebra had always been my core competency when I was suddenly thrown into teaching above average geometry classes. There were times in front of the classroom when I had to humble myself to the class with the words, “I don’t know but I will find out.”

The math department faculty was older and quite experienced. Two of the teachers had written the Geometry textbook we were using which gave me the opportunity to ask them questions outside of class those questions I couldn’t answer in front of the class.

I found a third geometry teacher who would sit in the teachers lounge doing geometry for his amusement. I glommed on to him and became his wide-eyed “pupil”. He showed me a variety of perspectives and solutions for each geometry problem. I was learning teaching methods at the feet of a master. I took those teachings back to my geometry classes and I was able to reach more students by having multiple perspectives to offer in each geometric situation

That rookie year teaching high school geometry was one of the best educational experiences I ever had. I gained so much confidence and teaching experience that first year, that in my second year of teaching geometry, I encouraged my honors students to put their solutions on the blackboards and explain their method. There were mornings I would approach my classroom and the students were already there writing proofs and solutions on all the blackboards. It was like they were on autopilot and I was very proud that they were so engaged. I came to love geometry and when I started my math software company, geometry programs were the first ones I wrote.

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Opinions and Analysis by: Illana Herzig Weintraub

Publisher: MathMedia Educational Software, Inc.

www.mathmedia.com

support@mathmedia.com

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