My best math teacher comes easily to mind. He was my math teacher for grade 11 and grade 12 honors math. In grade 12, I originally had a different teacher. However, I was so unhappy with this new teacher that I begged the administration to switch me into my old teacher’s class. He was one of the most formative male role models in my life. This role modeling existed outside of the classroom. I not only admired him for his intellect in and passion for mathematics, but also for his attitude towards life. I will admit that I was not a morally good person in high school. However, I went through some personal trauma in grade 11 and this force me down a path of self-reevaluation. He recognized this in me and took active measures to guide me down a better path. I would not be as caring or empathetic today if not for him. He educated me in ways well outside the math curriculum.
My worst math teacher was an unorganized mess. Not only were his courses unorganized, but his expectations of us were also unorganized. I felt that I was constantly struggling just to understand where I was, so to understand where I was supposed to go was an impossible task. I missed assignments due to his lack of organization, and even when I handed them in, I missed marks because of his unclear rubrics. It frustrated me and I began doubting my self-efficacy. Like a wet blanket on a fire, he almost extinguished my passion for math.
