I'm a Senior Mathematics Teacher in South East Melbourne.
I've been teaching for 3 years, this is my fourth year on the job, and I absolutely love it.
I teach primarily Year 11 and 12 VCE Maths Methods and Specialist Maths.
Fire away!
[AMA] I'm a High School Maths Teacher. Ask Me Anything!
MathNerd on 01/05/2018 - 08:52
closed Comments
Two plus two is four minus one that's 3 quick mafs.
I'm a full time research scientist with a PhD, and have been doing it for 12 years now. Published a lot, spoken overseas a lot, done a lot of wet lab research (proteins, cells, organs) as well as cool microscopy work (laser microscopy, 3d imaging, and the associated computer image processing with python - which I'm pretty fluent with). etc. I've loved it but I'm starting to get ground down now, and I always enjoyed teaching. I'm always looking for a planB. National medical research funding is about to be completely rejigged, and it could mean a lot of people are out of work.
What paths do I have these days to move towards secondary education? There used to be a Grad.Dip.Ed at Monash which could get you teaching in 12 months.. but I don't know now. I've given lectures at uni (but not a lot), given tutes, done demonstrating, etc. but that doesn't count for anything official. I don't want to mess around for 2 years when I can get it done in one. Some of the best fun I've had in the last 3 years was a Science Week demonstration at my son's Kindergarten. I did a demonstration of "air". Sounds boring, but the kids had a brilliant time and I was stoked and had such fun too.
Well done, I could never do a PhD. Too many unknowns and I'm just not good at discovering "new stuff".
Unfortunately these days the quickest way you can become a teacher is via the 2 year Master of Teaching. If I recall correctly, some universities allow an "accelerated" course which can be done in 18 months, but no shorter.
That's what the government has wanted, 2 year teacher courses to make sure the teachers leaving universities are fit for the job. I'll reserve my judgement of that decision.
ELI5 (or in high school) how .999… = 1
Let x = 0.999…
Then 10x = 9.999…
10x - x = 9x
9.999… - 0.999… = 9
9x = 9
x = 1Therefore 0.999… = 1.
Easy.
Easy.
I guess my username checks out :(
Even reading that, I don't get it.If you said:
Let x = 0.999…
then x can't = 1Sure it can. They're different representations of the same number, which can be considered as an abstract entity.
Where do babies come from?
From chimneys, of course.
How is the pay ? How easy was it to secure the job?
Pay is reasonable. For me it was easy to get the job, I had done placement at this school and they took me in after I finished my Master of Teaching course.
Where did you do your master of teaching?Did you like your course?
Why do math teachers who teach 4 unit(or whatever the equivalent is in Victoria) barely know the content itself?
My guess is that 4th year maths is #1. Not taught very often; #2 Hard.
I've got no idea to be honest. I know my content inside out, but that's only because I've dedicated my life to VCE Maths at the expense of everything else.
My guess would be an unfamiliarity with the content, or that they trained to be a maths teacher hoping to teach "easy maths", such as year 7 or 8 maths, and ended up getting allotted a senior maths class. I'm only taking wild guesses here to be clear.In NSW at the secondary level you can be qualified for either a Junior maths teacher (yr 7-10) or senior maths teacher (yr 11,12) or both.
It is less likely nowadays that a trained up primary teacher would be given HSC classes as they would only be accredited as a junior (yr7-10) teacher.
The older maths teachers generally did a 3-year science degree with a maths major and then a 1 year add-on diploma of education.
In the science degree they would have chosen a mix of pure or applied mathematics.
And so, if they didn’t do 4unit themselves in year 12 (6th form) and if they didn’t choose the correct combination of pure and applied subjects in their science degree….then they might not have been taught a few of the 4unit subjects eg. mechanics.
Younger maths teachers usually do an integrated course of maths and education over 4 years. One would think they would cover all the syllabus content…. but I don’t know.
Can you explain why the integral of 1/x from 0 to infinity converges
The integral of 1/x from 1 to k is ln(k), where k>1 and ln means log with a base of e.
As k approaches infinity, ln(k) also approaches infinity.
Therefore 1/x is not integrable on [1,infty) and the integral diverges.
Why is Math "hard" for kids to learn?
I don't think it's inherently "hard", it's just that it's the only subject in which the thinking involved in scenarios tends to be different to other disciplines. It's also hard to make your brain think about x's and y's and derivatives and all, when we're wired to think about simple numbers.
Personally I loved maths so I don't think I'm the best person to answer this question!Because maths often explicitly builds on previous knowledge.
So, if a student misses something (understanding or absence or pre-occupied in class) then they will find future topics that relies on the knowledge of the missed work; 'hard'.
Why do you guys teach us about geometry and all that bs, but nothing about taxes? Please.
I've mentioned this before, it's all about the students' age and what interests them at their respective stage in life.
My explanation is detailed here.
Awesome to see the work you're doing!
Do you have much experience with students with special needs? If so, what challenges have come along with this? Have you also had much experience teaching international students who have difficulty in understanding English?
Thanks for the kind words. I don't have much experience with special needs. I can imagine it'd be a tough gig, to help them keep up with the rest of the class. It all comes down to teacher:student ratios, and when that ratio gets off-balance then it gets really tough.
I have taught international students all my years at the school, and I find that they're pretty smart with their maths, as they've learnt everything already in their home country. However, they do struggle, at times, with the "worded" or application questions, which require a level of comprehension skill that can sometimes be hard for them.
Find the solution to:
y''+9y= 7sin(x)+10cos(3x)
Ah, a good ol' second order ODE. The solution is:
y = c sin(3x) + d cos(3x) + 7/8 sin(x) + 5x/3 sin(3x), where c and d are real constants.
Brings back memories of my Differential Equations class!
How common are intimate relationships between teachers at high schools
Yeah, nah. I don't know.
Where do you see your self progressing to in terms of your career in the next decade?
Eg move on to Uni students/lectures etc
University? No way.
I see myself just moving up the teaching experience ladder, I really just want to be a teacher and not a head of department/year level coordinator/principal and the like. The reason is that the higher you go in these roles, the more admin work you do and the more management you do, rather than actually being in the classroom. The classroom is where I belong, and I don't want to change or hinder that.
In terms of university, I get asked this a lot. Yes the pay is so much better at universities, however teaching is more like a "side job" when you're at university. I don't know if you know this, but universities are, on the whole, ranked on the quality of their research output, and much lesser on their teaching quality. What I'm trying to say is, when you're a teacher/lecturer at a university, there is more pressure on you to output good research as opposed to being a good teacher/lecturer. I'm crap at research (I've stated this in a previous comment), so being a lecturer at a university is definitely not my cuppa.
Interesting, no had no idea not really tuned into the teaching profession but it's cool to see you've found your calling.
Would of been a better learning environment if the teachers I had were as motivated & energetic as it seems you are back in high school, nice stuff :)
Yeah, there's a lot of misinformation and misconceptions floating around about the education sector, someone needs to get the word out there on how it all works out. Some teachers fight for the higher positions as they like to do the managerial things and lesser classroom time, but I'm definitely not like that. I can't see myself being successful in a managerial/coordination role to save my life. Horses for courses as they say.
I worked at Uni and going by the wages of Senior Lecturers (depending on level), it is very similar to a Senior Teacher going by your link re: Vic Teaching wages.
VET sector Teaching is around Level 3 equivalent - Learning Specialist.
The only big jump is becoming a Professor is around starting $160K PA, but then when you exceed the $180K PA mark, you will get absolutely thrashed in Tax ~ I think around 46% as you will climb the next Tax Threshold. But then again, who cares when you are getting that kind of dough. :-)
Totally agree with your comment on climbing the ladder, the higher you go is directly proportional to the admin and headaches.
Cheers
Why is 1/X^-1 = X?
And why is the square of a fraction smaller than the original number? Eg. 0.5^2 = 0.250
x^(-1) = 1/x, so 1/(x^(-1)) = 1/(1/x) = 1 * x/1 = x. I used the notion of "stay change flip" when going from 1/(1/x) to 1 * x/1.
The square of a fraction is only smaller than the original number if the fraction is less than 1. For example, (1/4)^2 = 1/16. The result is smaller because the original denominator is bigger than the original numerator, so when the entire fraction is squared the new denominator has grown by a larger amount compared to the new numerator.
But how does a number that is raised to the power of -1 equal itself on a conceptual level?
Same for the fraction question; how can I have a half of something, and when multiplying it by itself I get something smaller than it is? Imagine having half a pizza. How can I multiply that half by itself and get a quarter? Why isn't it 2.5 pizzas?
But how does a number that is raised to the power of -1 equal itself on a conceptual level?
It's not equal to itself, it's equal to its reciprocal. (1/x)^-1 is reciprocating an already reciprocal, hence the result is simply the denominator over 1.
Imagine having half a pizza. How can I multiply that half by itself and get a quarter?
Back to basics. Multiplication is "of". So what is half of a half?
Why isn't it 2.5 pizzas?
How did you arrive at the value 2.5 in the first place?
Consider the following two systems.
(a)
3x−3y=−3
−3x+9y=−1(b)
{3x−3y=−1
−3x+9y=3(i) Find the inverse of the (common) coefficient matrix of the two systems.
My answer is :
1/2, 1/61/6, 1/6
I need help with this final part.
(ii) Find the solutions to the two systems by using the inverse, i.e. by evaluating A−1B where B represents the right hand side (i.e. B=[−3−1] for system (a) and B=[−13] for system (b)).
Solution to system (a):
x=
y =Solution to system (b):
x=
y =You did say we could ask anything!
Let me type this up in a proper document and I'll attach it here.
Are you a high school student? This is very much looking like a homework assignment…
Not your student trying to get answers anonymously? :-)
Haha, nah I've taught this topic a long time ago, none of my students will be asking anyway!
Why does 5x0 = 0?
Because 5 of nothing is still nothing.
Red or Blue?
How about Green?
Is anyone know good materials for explanation of the Simplex Method?
Linear Programming? Hmmm, that's VCE Further Maths…
Can you count cards?
No I can't. It's not part of the VCE course so I didn't learn to.
Username checks out
:)
Is it typical for mathematics teachers to be titled "Senior" after 3 years of teaching?
I don't think it is a title, he is a teacher that teaches senior maths.
Not really. My reference to "senior" is purely an extension of the majority of my teaching load, that is, senior maths classes at Year 11 and 12.
I'm nearing the end of my first year in a NSW DoE school, however a change of schools at the beginning of the year almost felt like I starting from scratch! Working in a Social Science staffroom, sometimes we underestimate the effort and planning Maths teachers seem to do.
How did you manage to deal with workload and burnout particularly in your first few years?
Of your 12 weeks of holiday, how much do you spend programming?
What time do you normally get to sleep on a school night?
What cross-curricula efforts has your school made, and what would you like to see occur?
Your thoughts on this: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/teachers-need-fewer-…
Good work on making it through the first year in a different school! I'd struggle if I changed schools.
How did you manage to deal with workload and burnout particularly in your first few years?
I just devoted all my time to my work, and I didn't feel burnt out because I actually liked working on my maths a lot (much to the dismay of my then girlfriend [now fiance]).
Of your 12 weeks of holiday, how much do you spend programming?
I don't do any programming at all, I've got no skills there unfortunately.
What time do you normally get to sleep on a school night?
Anywhere from 11pm to 1am.
What cross-curricula efforts has your school made, and what would you like to see occur?
The school I'm at places a large focus on extra curricular activities, there's national-level athletics, swimming, gymnastics etc teams there. I've involved myself here and there ad-hoc with sporting teams and coaching sports, but I do a really bad job at it. Teaching maths is definitely what I'm meant to be doing!
Your thoughts on this: Teachers need fewer holidays, more work: Coalition MP Andrew Laming
Honestly, it's yet another politician that's come along trying to make headlines by bagging out teachers. We have a name for these people: "Teacher-bashers". It gets people talking and evokes emotions because of the different working conditions we get compared to other occupations, so a lot of people see it as "cool" or "funny" to bag out teachers. This sort of article is a perfect example of this theory at work.
EDIT: I've just been reading through the comments and noticed this apt comment: "Election coming up. Time to pick some easy targets in the community and turn everyone against them". Couldn't agree with this person more.
Are you teaching in a class where the students are mostly self driven or are they sorta indifferent about maths? Which class would you prefer?
Have you considered private tuition? Either small classes or solo? I've seen plenty of school teachers at tutoring centres and some that do it privately.
Are you teaching in a class where the students are mostly self driven or are they sorta indifferent about maths? Which class would you prefer?
A bit of both, actually. I hope that with the enthusiasm and excitement that I put into my teaching, that any student, whether self driven or indifferent, at least gets an appreciation for the subject firstly, and my efforts secondly.
Have you considered private tuition? Either small classes or solo? I've seen plenty of school teachers at tutoring centres and some that do it privately.
I was a private tutor for 7 years before becoming a teacher, it was awesome. At the moment, I'm focusing my time on teaching, but once I get more experience in the job, I may find time to venture out into that sphere again!
Is it your goal to teach at a very academic school? Or stick with local schools? Does it matter ultimately for you?
Happy to stick to a local school. A smooth drive to work without too much traffic works wonders for having a great, productive day! The school I'm at is quite academic already and my students are by and large interested in doing their best. So I'm happy to stay where I am.
Ask Me Anything!
Hope you have not seen this before, If so please do not Google
Fill in the blank
16, 06, 68, 88, _ _, 98
this is on like every iq test and puzzle app ever. I get the answer for it instantly every time I see it now
That 'this' should be 'This', and there's a full stop missing at the end.
Don't be telling me i'm a lousy troll…ok. i actually think it's cute you follow my posts now. at least I know someone's reading them
Great to hear you enjoy your job :) Thank you for doing what you do.
I know you teach High School, wondering what your thoughts are on Mathletics, IXL etc? I have 3 kids and really struggle to help them at times as things have changed so much since my schooling years.
Our primary school uses Mathletics and my son’s high school mentioned an IXL subscription could be helpful.
Thank you
Thanks for the kind words.
To be honest, given my experience is only with the senior years, I haven't used these Mathletics/IXL/other sites. They're very "junior" maths focused, which is not really in my interest.
In saying that, I think they're great for making maths interactive and dynamic, and that's definitely a win in my books. So go for it, get a trial at least, and see how your kids work with that. If they don't find it helpful, cancel the trial :)
What are your thoughts about Breaking Bad, where a chemistry teacher turns into a drug chemist and ends up running a big drug empire. Have you got any stories like these?
Haha, I've watched a bit of Breaking Bad. It's quite funny what Walter does. He's a reckless bloke.
No, I don't have stories like these, I'm not a risky man!
I am sure this is the case with most of the people. I was not being serious at all. BB is an extreme situation, basically an outlier.
You are doing Great work, keep it up. I miss my maths teachers( and other teachers too) I have had especially in high school, they were fantastic and passionate. Back in school students including myself don’t realize the importance of maths, but I can tell you it is very useful and fun at the same time.
Going through uni, my mate was studying to be a Chem and Physics teacher while I'm now a HSIE/Social Science teacher. Had the idea to run a business in school where his kids would learn to make the goods while my students in Business Studies can work on the business and operations side of things as a partnership.
Taking project based learning to new levels.
Thankfully this hadn't taken off since he became engaged with the financial services corporate world instead.
Are/were you involved in Math Olympiad?
No, that's very IQ-like, which is not in my interests. My interests are pretty much just VCE Maths focused.
MathNerd, I want to re-learn all my HSC (hah! 1984!!!) maths. What textbooks do you use? Or do kids not use textbooks anymore? FWIW I did what used to be called "pure maths" and "applied maths".
Thank you!Wow, good on you, that's a brave move.
We use the Cambridge books, but this is VCE, so in ACT it'll be a bit different. No idea what they use there, sorry. But the topics will all be similar. I'm definitely into applied maths not pure maths :)
Why have numeracy rates dropped significantly over the last decade at the same time as education funding being increased? Why is there not a strong correlation between funding and outcomes? Why should the taxpayer be expected to continually increase funding to education without a matching increase in results?
I understand your frustration, I feel it myself.
I'm actually not privy to the details of where all this funding is going, but I can hazard a guess that it's going into building more auditoriums and sports ovals and that sort of stuff. Also if you throw money at teachers it's unlikely to change much, the dedicated ones will continue to be dedicated and not-so might seek to improve. I don't think a blanket statement such as "more funding means better results" holds much merit, it's a complicated issue overall.Fair enough, thanks for the reasonable answer at least. It is a very frustrating situation to watch a wealthy country slip in rank globally for both literacy and numeracy long term.
Ditto.
Have you ever explicitly taught the Berry method to factorise trinomials?
And if not, why not?
Thanks.
I had to look up the Berry method. It makes sense, but I teach quadratic factorising using cross-sticks. It's visual and most students get it within a couple of lessons.
Is your username inspired by WatchNerd?
Great question. When I created this account, I thought of something like MathsRocks or MathsTeacher or Maths-Teacher and the like, but then thought of Nerd after seeing the word somewhere on the site. Made the account, saw WatchNerd's account and thought there's something sinister here, but then haven't thought much of it! It's a wonder how some things work out!
Whats 1+1
Not this again, I've already answered that in a previous comment :)
Do you encourage students to memorise the 3 trig identities of the form….
Sin^2 + Cos^2 = 1 ?
Or, just the one above and then encourage them to divide it throughout by either sin^2 or cos^2 to derive the other two?
Thanks.
Very mathematically focused questions here!
sin^2(theta) + cos^2(theta) = 1 is good enough, the other ones don't really need memorising.
Can you work out Eigen vectors
Eigen vectors and eigenvalues from linear algebra? Yes, I think I remember how to do them…
Have you ever demonstrated to a class how to derive the formula for the length of a curve….
L = Integral(b,a) of Sqrt (1+f’(x)^2) dx
using Pythagoras ?
Thanks.
Yes.
Cool calculator you linked before.
What technology/software are students using these days that you wish you could of used when you were their age?
Are younger generations too reliant on technology and becoming incapable of doing math in their heads?
Yes, the calculator is amazing. Really allows one to unpack mathematical concepts in new ways, making it dynamic so that students can see what the maths means and what it does.
I used to use a CAS calculator back in school too, but it was the basic TI-89 Titanium that didn't have as much capability as the CX CAS.
I'm finding that yes, maths is not as mentally doable as I used to know it. Whether it's due to people using their Calculator apps on their phones, I don't know, but it very well could be.
Have you ever demonstrated to students how to derive the formula for the sum of squares of the counting numbers?
S = [n(2n+1)(n+1)]/6
starting from….
1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 + ……… = (1) + (1+3) + (1+3+5) + ……..
Or, have you only ever shown it by mathematical induction?
Thanks.
I've only done it by induction.
Do you enjoy teaching maths more for the sake of teaching maths, or more because maths can empower students to go on to become the next engineers/physicists/computer scientists of the future?
Both. I just want students to love maths as much as I do, either for its intrinsic beauty, or to help them in a career. I don't mind which.
What’s two plus two minus one?