The worst math teacher that I have ever had taught me during my grade 9 year in high school. Objectively, she wasn't a bad teacher. In fact, most students liked her. She was our science and biology teacher. But math 9 didn't require someone whose expertise was in mathematics. She taught us math, and we were fine with it. I have always done well in math, being at the top of my class, getting As. But in grade 9, things were different. I got a C+, primarily because I didn't try very hard to do well. Math normally came second nature to me, so getting this grade surprised me a little. Because my attitude towards school in grade 9 was very lax, I think that the teacher judged that I was not able to do exceptionally well in class. And she treated me as such. She never showed faith in my abilities, never gave me a chance to prove myself, and never encouraged me to do better. Rather, she let me be, and I was fine with that. However, I think it is a teacher's role to sometimes go beyond a person's comfort zone and to reach out to them. Even if it's in math class.
The best teacher that I have ever had was my grade 11 math teacher. He was funny, personable, interested in students' well-being, and had a real passion for math. His degree was in math and music. He told us math jokes, encouraged us to get involved in math contests, and was always friendly and good-humored. He made us want to enjoy math because he enjoyed it himself. And he gave us the opportunity to do the same.
Very nice!
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