Mathematics and Me

One of the most memorable moments I've had as a math student growing up happened during my grade 12 year, when I was taught by a teacher who used methods that seemed eccentric at the time. He would often tell us jokes or go over scores from last night's hockey games during the class, or he would just tell us random facts that none of us will remember, but this actually created a positive experience for what is widely considered as a difficult class. First of all, what he did was to create a connection with his students, as well as mental breaks and opportunities for students to relax and absorb from the massive amount of material they have to learn. Secondly, many of the facts or stories he did tell were sometimes related to numerical problems, which made a few students more interested in the subject (including myself) and the class (such as the guys who loved hockey but hated math). Lastly, it was a sharp contrast to what most of us had experienced before, and even if some may have felt uncomfortable with his unconventional teaching approach at first, gradually the class fell in love with a more vibrant math class, especially compared to those of the past. The most important thing? Our academic performance as a class was terrific.