Hypothetical Student Responses - 2019

Dear Mr. Bayer,

I would like to thank you for making mathematics fun for me. Although I decided not to continue on in math, I did find that your course was my favorite because of the laboratory "experiments" you included in the course. It really helped me to understand the concepts being taught, particularly algebra and trigonometry. I wasn't a fan of the word problems, but at least I could see how I could actually apply all the materials that I learned in class.

You really helped to make the subject "exciting" by being excited about teaching. I had a tendency to fall asleep in some of my other classes, but I was always able to stay awake in your class.


Mr. Bayer,

I wanted to let you know that I really did not enjoy your class. First, I thought that your "pop quizzes" were an extremely unfair form of punishment against the class for acting up and not focusing on work. Second, since when does Math need labs? If I wanted labs, I would take a science class. If I wanted a "sanity check", I would see a psychiatrist. You teach math... you shouldn't be doing anything other than punching numbers into a calculator. You suck.

Oh, and "Think-Pair-Share"? Why couldn't we do this on tests?

SUMMARY: My hopes and worries.

From my written work, I hope that I can convince most students that mathematics does not have to be dry, and I hope to accomplish this by incorporating simple physics concepts as a tool to teach mathematics, such as throwing a ball against a wall to measure velocity, a tool in introducing algebra.

My worry is that taking mathematics away from a strictly classroom instruction, I may end up alienating some students from mathematics. Also, I fear that the unspoken threat of pop quizzes as a classroom management tool may discourage some students from continuing on in mathematics.