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...
I still remember a comment made to me by an English teacher, Mr. Hook, when I was attending Mission High School. Mr. Hook said, “Leo, you have an innate ability to get people to do what you want, but they believe that they made the decision to act.” Incredibly, this occurre...
During my teaching and coaching career, I have been told by the students in my classroom and by those I prepare for competitive mathematics that they learn many more concepts from me than from their other teachers or coaches in the same amount of time. Since I self-analyze, I hav...
Something that I admire about outstanding teachers is that they can think on their feet. This attribute is one that can be developed by teachers that prepare intensively. Prior to a lesson, teachers should have developed a plan for success. This plan for success is applicable to ...
During my career, I have observed that outstanding teachers are always assessing their students. Teachers are constantly trying to determine the strengths and weakness of each student that they teach. They do this by questioning done in the classroom, grading class work, grading...
In general, I believe that outstanding teachers are fair. Each student needs to be treated with respect. The remedy for each type of discipline problem needs to be the same for all students. Students need to know the consequences for misbehaving. They need to trust that a teache...
I agree that outstanding teachers embrace change. I believe that teachers are constantly evolving. Teachers are working to improve how they teach concepts. They have a thirst for knowledge, which drives them to research for ways to inspire learning. With the availability of the...
I have always admired that outstanding teachers work on being positive. There are many situations when teachers are confronted with obstacles that have the potential of derailing a lesson. Sometimes the obstacle can be a discipline problem. In other occasions, it may be encount...
Something that I admire about teachers is that they want to make a difference in the lives of their students. Teachers are committed to helping their students. They are unselfish by nature. They are willing to sacrifice to insure that their students get the required help that the...
An attribute that outstanding teachers possess is that they provide frequent and immediate feedback to their students. This is true about classroom teachers, academic coaches and tutors. Students that receive frequent and immediate feedback tend to progress through a course at a ...
