Teaching Maths

I used to teach maths at a home for destitute girls. The girls were in the age range 5-18. They used to go to a Tamil medium school where maths (actually all subjects excluding English) was taught in Tamil.

I got them to place a blackboard, about 3' by 2' on a small table resting against the wall. A box of chalk and a duster were also obtained.

So then the maths classes started. The girls I taught were in classes 7-10. When I teach, I like the students to really understand and not memorize stuff. I believe that the ability to process information is much more critical than the ability to retain / get information. We have Google to give as much information as we want. But if we want a decision, Google can't make the decision. WE have to make the decision.

I dislike learning subjects which have little bearing in our lives. Complex numbers in maths is something I have never used in the last 20 years. I think I have used calculus for solving a real life problem once or twice after I finished college. 99% of humanity doesn't use these in life. I wonder why these are taught in schools. These could be taught in advanced maths courses in college. There are quite a few other subjects we learn in school which are rarely useful in life which we spend a lot of time learning. And quite a few others (like communication) which are critical but are not taught in school.

When someone solves a problem incorrectly, I like to tell them why their solution is incorrect and only then explain the right solution. I have attended a coaching session where I was told not to worry about the reason why my solution was incorrect. This happened about 30 years back. I disliked this approach then. I dislike it now. Knowing WHY an approach is incorrect or suboptimal is important.

Coming to my students, it was fun for both them and me. I would ask them what the topic was for the day and they would come up with a few options based on what they didn't understand in school most recently. We would then choose one topic.

On one occasion, the topic we arrived at was solving simultaneous linear equations of the type

2x+y=5

3x-2y=4

I explained to them the procedure to solve the equation and arrive at the values for x and y.

Some of the girls didn't quite get it. While others understood the procedure with relative ease. They saw me solve the problem mentally without using the blackboard and they were astounded.

I told them it was pretty simple. And explained to them how to do it mentally. The brightest among them shook her head and said she would never be able to do it. 

So naturally I took it as a challenge. It was a few weeks later that she did it. She solved the linear x and y equations mentally. Was it pleasure? Exhilaration? I still remember the look on her face.