Questions from my trigonometry students
I pass out a questionaire to my class and the last question is to ask me a question (if they have one). Here are the questions I got....
What places have you been to? Do you like to travel?
I've been to over 30 countries in Western Europe, West Africa, and Central America. I have never been to Asia or South America, but I would really like to go to both places. Of the countries I have never been to, the one I want to go to the most is Brazil.
What is your favorite food?
My favorite meal is fried plantain with a bean sauce. It is a very common meal in Ghana, which is where my mother is from.
Do you give extra credit?
Not very much. I think too many students focus on extra credit, instead of spending the time needed to get the regular credit.
What is your math background?
I have a B.S. in mathematics, and an M.A. in mathematics education.
What are your hobbies?
Well, I've been working on an MBA over the past year, so that is a sort of hobby. I also play soccer, bug our cat, and I've recently taken up running, in the hopes of running a marathon at some point.
What made you become a math teacher?
I came into teaching by accident. I was assigned to be a TA when I started grad school, and I hated it, because I would be nervous before every class. One day someone came to observe me teach and was surprised that I had never taught before. She was so impressed with my teaching that my nervousness went away, and I began to like what I did. With time, I realized I was good at it, and decided to teach as a career, and not just a way to have my tuition paid for.
Are you an awesome person?
I would say no. I think I’m a decent person, but awesome is a bit strong.
What other math classes do you teach?
I’ve taught algebra, pre-calculus, calculus, and statistics. I also taught math for elementary education majors, when I lived in Michigan.
How are you with your students?
I like to have class to be a little bit lively, because if I’m in a class where all the students are unresponsive, I get a little bored.
What to you like about math?
I think there are different things about math that I like. I like the way things fall into place in some aspects of math, even when the problem looks like it will never result in a simple answer. I also like the applications that math has in other subject areas.
What kind of music do you like?
Hmm…today I listened to some Cuban music, David Grey, Gypsy Kings, Tori Amos, Lucinda Williams, some reggae, the Sundays, Craig David, and the country music station on my drive home. I really like all kinds of music
Are you a good teacher?
I think I’m alright.
What is your nationality and how old are you?
I’m ½ Ghanaian and ½ white. I turned 31 about a month ago.
Will you be teaching Math 49A (pre calculus 1) in the fall, r do you think it’s a good idea to take math 49 (pre calculus) at Foothill College, then take 1A (calculus) here?
You can’t take 49 at Foothill, then take 1A here. I recommend taking 49A and 49B at De Anza, because it is more thorough than taking 49 in one quarter at Foothill.
How are dreads? Why did you get them?
I like them; although they sometimes are a little bit annoying. I initially started dreads after my first year of college. I met this guy named Thomas who had really cool dreads, so I wanted to see how they would look on me. I ended up liking them, and grew them for 5 years. I then cut them off and had short hair for 3 years, then decided to grow my hair out again. I don’t know what ever happened to Thomas.
Any funny stories about your hair?
Not really.
You look like you would drive an old Volkswagen bug. Do you?
Close, but not quite. I drive a 10-year old VW golf.
What do you like most and least about De Anza?
I love the students at De Anza. I have met the most interesting people by working here. I’ve met students from all kinds of backgrounds and interests, and I really enjoy talking to students about their lives.
What I like least, is the SLOW place the technology is taking hold on the campus. The email system has a horrible spam filter, there is no wireless on campus, grades cannot be turned in online. That last item has bothered me since the day I stepped onto campus, six years ago, and it bothers me even more that over the past 6 years, the way grades are turned in has not changed at all.
Your biography?
You can read about my life on my webpage. I don’t want to bore anyone here.
What places have you been to? Do you like to travel?
I've been to over 30 countries in Western Europe, West Africa, and Central America. I have never been to Asia or South America, but I would really like to go to both places. Of the countries I have never been to, the one I want to go to the most is Brazil.
What is your favorite food?
My favorite meal is fried plantain with a bean sauce. It is a very common meal in Ghana, which is where my mother is from.
Do you give extra credit?
Not very much. I think too many students focus on extra credit, instead of spending the time needed to get the regular credit.
What is your math background?
I have a B.S. in mathematics, and an M.A. in mathematics education.
What are your hobbies?
Well, I've been working on an MBA over the past year, so that is a sort of hobby. I also play soccer, bug our cat, and I've recently taken up running, in the hopes of running a marathon at some point.
What made you become a math teacher?
I came into teaching by accident. I was assigned to be a TA when I started grad school, and I hated it, because I would be nervous before every class. One day someone came to observe me teach and was surprised that I had never taught before. She was so impressed with my teaching that my nervousness went away, and I began to like what I did. With time, I realized I was good at it, and decided to teach as a career, and not just a way to have my tuition paid for.
Are you an awesome person?
I would say no. I think I’m a decent person, but awesome is a bit strong.
What other math classes do you teach?
I’ve taught algebra, pre-calculus, calculus, and statistics. I also taught math for elementary education majors, when I lived in Michigan.
How are you with your students?
I like to have class to be a little bit lively, because if I’m in a class where all the students are unresponsive, I get a little bored.
What to you like about math?
I think there are different things about math that I like. I like the way things fall into place in some aspects of math, even when the problem looks like it will never result in a simple answer. I also like the applications that math has in other subject areas.
What kind of music do you like?
Hmm…today I listened to some Cuban music, David Grey, Gypsy Kings, Tori Amos, Lucinda Williams, some reggae, the Sundays, Craig David, and the country music station on my drive home. I really like all kinds of music
Are you a good teacher?
I think I’m alright.
What is your nationality and how old are you?
I’m ½ Ghanaian and ½ white. I turned 31 about a month ago.
Will you be teaching Math 49A (pre calculus 1) in the fall, r do you think it’s a good idea to take math 49 (pre calculus) at Foothill College, then take 1A (calculus) here?
You can’t take 49 at Foothill, then take 1A here. I recommend taking 49A and 49B at De Anza, because it is more thorough than taking 49 in one quarter at Foothill.
How are dreads? Why did you get them?
I like them; although they sometimes are a little bit annoying. I initially started dreads after my first year of college. I met this guy named Thomas who had really cool dreads, so I wanted to see how they would look on me. I ended up liking them, and grew them for 5 years. I then cut them off and had short hair for 3 years, then decided to grow my hair out again. I don’t know what ever happened to Thomas.
Any funny stories about your hair?
Not really.
You look like you would drive an old Volkswagen bug. Do you?
Close, but not quite. I drive a 10-year old VW golf.
What do you like most and least about De Anza?
I love the students at De Anza. I have met the most interesting people by working here. I’ve met students from all kinds of backgrounds and interests, and I really enjoy talking to students about their lives.
What I like least, is the SLOW place the technology is taking hold on the campus. The email system has a horrible spam filter, there is no wireless on campus, grades cannot be turned in online. That last item has bothered me since the day I stepped onto campus, six years ago, and it bothers me even more that over the past 6 years, the way grades are turned in has not changed at all.
Your biography?
You can read about my life on my webpage. I don’t want to bore anyone here.
posted by Jefferson at 8:11 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home