Confessions of a Math Teacher

I have taught Mathematics for more than thirty years. one of the reasons that most of my students have got admission in prestigious universities is their higher than average marks in math, physics, and chemistry. Few students find math an easy subject They study math because they need math to enter a variety of professional programs in science, engineering, and technology but also social sciences, languages and medicine. I have made it my vocation to made math accessible to all students.

When I graduated from the University of Baghdad with a Masters of Art in Mathematics, I did not plan to become a math teacher/tutor. I planned to get married. And in my spare time to do research and author books about mathematics and other subjects.

About a year later, I went to Pakistan and got married. The prevailing wisdom at the time was that once a girl got married, she should devote herself to home, husband, and family. There was also quite a bit of social life. I tried to fully conform for the first few years. I liked home-making and bringing up my kids. But I thought that I could feel my mind shrinking . And I hated the feeling.....

I tried to study by myself. But living far from an academic setting made getting material difficult. Then a neighbour asked me to tutor a daughter of one of her friends who was falling behind in school. I admit I only accepted the job because I needed the extra money.

I got the surprise of my life: I liked tutoring. And an even greater surprise: I was good at teaching.....

Even nowadays, despite a better understanding of how children and adults learn, many teachers seem to think that the only way to teach math is through memorization and endless practice. But math even more than other subjects requires comprehension.

By some small miracle, even as a young child, I rarely fell into the trap of memorization. I managed to get at least some understanding of the concepts I was learning .

The comprehension of math starts with small , ridiculously simple concepts. A child who understands these concepts early on, and then learns how to build on them will sail through his /her math studies. He/ she will not only do well in math but probably in most other subjects. He/she will love the challenge, the excitement and the satisfaction of doing mathematics.

nd how?

The best way to teach a child anything including math is through games, songs, rhymes and puzzles.

Encourage your child to arrange toys , books, games and puzzles in various categories