It is interesting to note that a lot of students from elementary school to college use calculators when solving mathematics problems. I am sad to say, that less than 1% know how to use a calculator efficiently. As a high school calculator coach and current tutor, I have spent abo...
During my lifetime, I have followed 2 simple rules that have kept me happy. Rule #1: Do what makes you happy and Rule #2: always try your best. These rules apply to the job you choose, relationships you have and for those choosing to compete in mathematics. I have loved mathemati...
Whether it is teaching, coaching or being a parent, everyone should have a plan for success. The first thing that needs to be done in developing a plan is to set the major goal of what needs to be accomplished. This goal can be the target for an individual or a team. After the ma...
Although I am constantly looking towards the future, I have realized how much I have learned from the past. Whether it is teaching in the classroom or online, I am constantly looking at what methods I have used in the past that are successful. These are the methods that I impleme...
Teachers that I meet at workshops and parents that talk to me frequently, ask me how I can remain so motivated about teaching and writing instructional math workbooks. The answer is simple. I am constantly looking for better ways to teach a concept or a faster way to solve a math...
During my career I have acquired a lot of knowledge about teaching in general and mathematics in particular. More than 30 years ago, I decided that I had an obligation to share the knowledge that I had acquired with teachers, parents, and students. I did this in a variety of ways...
In 1983 I wrote my first instructional mathematics workbook. It was called, “Number Sense: A Starter’s Kit.” It was written after numerous requests from teachers and parents. The two hundred-page workbook was written in twelve days. As the title implies, the workbook was in...
For most of my life I have been called a dreamer. The main reason is that I am always setting my sights on the future. Everything that I do is influenced by what I want for my future. I know that a lot of people focus on one day at a time. I respect those people, but what motivat...
Performing well under pressure is something that all of us want to do. When I was in college I was playing in the semi-finals of a badminton tournament. I had only scored 1 point and was 1 point from elimination. Incredibly, I scored 20 straight points to win and then proceeded t...
There are numerous instances in mathematics where common errors occur. In my opinion, the most frequent in my career occurred when 0 divided a number. Division by 0 occurs in elementary mathematics, coordinate geometry (finding slope) and calculus (finding limits). Explaining why...
