Math CAN Make Sense! Math tutoring for all levels of high school and post-secondary math from a math professor.

Find out more about Sean

• When and why did you develop an interest in your chosen field?

  I have loved math since I was very little! While this might seem strange to some people, it's actually very common for young children to love math! Unfortunately, it's after years of learning math in the education system that this love dissipates and even turns to loathing. I learned in University, through a number of co-op placements, that I have a unique gift for being able to explain mathematical concepts in a way that not only make sense, but also inspire curiosity and eagerness to learn more. It was at this time that I realized I needed to pursue a career in mathematics education. So I completed my Bachelor's degree and Master's degree in pure mathematics, and earned a job as a college math professor, where I work with students every week, many of whom do not have a strong math background, helping them to learn to understand and appreciate mathematics and statistics!

• What makes you passionate about your subject?

  Math and stats are used just about every day in our lives, with far-reaching connections and applications! One of the things I try to do in every one of my lessons is to dig deeper into the concepts being learned: rather than simply learning "how" to do a problem, I work with students to understand the "why", the "what", and the "where" about the problem - namely, "Why are we learning this?", "What is the reasoning behind the approach we are taking?", and "Where might this be useful?" When I see students begin to make these connections and get excited about learning more, this is what makes my job as an educator so fulfilling!

• What do you like about tutoring? What makes you a "Superprof"?

  One of the things that I love most about tutoring is that every student I work with has a desire to learn! Anyone who makes the decision to invest time and money into tutoring understands and values the importance of learning, and in my experience, this is the most important factor in being able to learn a subject - even one that is very difficult at first. One of the things that I believe makes me a "Superprof" is my ability to connect with students and to tailor my explanations to their learning style, experiences, and field of study to better help them make connections between the mathematical and/or statistical concepts they are learning and their interests and passions. I not only have a deep understanding and appreciation for math, but I am able to share and inspire that in my students as well!

• Do you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you? Please explain.

  I had two very influential professors in my University experience - one in my undergraduate studies and one in my graduate studies. During my undergraduate, I came to a point where I really struggled (for the first time) with the mathematical concepts being taught and wasn't sure I would be able to succeed - this was very distressing for me, as I had always been very strong in math, but it was an important milestone in my journey as both a learner and an educator. My professor of real analysis invited me to come to her office hours every week and to work with her to understand the concepts more deeply and to learn how to approach the problems that I was struggling with. She both encouraged me in my intuition about the problems, and helped me develop the ability to rigorously prove a mathematical property/statement. This simultaneously allowed me to develop a crucial skill in learning pure math, to sympathize better with those who struggle to understand a concept, and to see a model of what inspirational math education looks like! In my graduate degree, I had another professor who had the ability to introduce and explain high-level mathematical concepts in a way that was creative, exciting, and enticing! I had never before been so excited to tackle the problem sets in any math course as in this one - and to this very day, I model my math teaching based on this approach, presenting concepts in inspiring and even surprising ways, and making connections that engage our passions and excite our minds!

• What are your keys to success?

  I believe there are three keys to success in learning math:
  
  1. A desire to learn - without the desire to learn, it is almost impossible to succeed, as we are working against ourselves! I always say that I can teach mathematics to anyone, so long as they have a desire to learn!
  2. A strong work ethic - after learning a concept, it is important to take this away and practice with it, seeing how the concept arises in real-life scenarios, and using the skills learned to solve a problem. This is why after explaining a concept, I always show an example of how it's done, and follow-this up by asking you to work through an example and show me how it's done! But this is just the beginning: once you have this ability and confidence, practicing the skill in a variety of situations is the key to developing strength and mastery with it. In other words, the work done between sessions is as important (if not more so!) than the work done within the sessions. Think of me as a personal trainer - we will work on how to do the exercises together, but it's up to you to go to the gym every day and repeat those exercises in order to get stronger!
  3. A curiosity about the "why", the "what", and the "where" - after the desire to learn and the work ethic to reinforce the concepts, the third key to success is curiosity. When we ask questions like "Why am I learning this?" or "What is the reasoning behind this approach" or "Where will I use this", we are expressing a curiosity! Rather than ask these questions sarcastically (as many math students have asked their math teachers before!), I encourage students to ask these questions earnestly - because they express our desire to make connections, and because there are really good answers to these questions out there, if we want to find them! Simply put, being curious about math is the driving force that will inspire us to keep asking questions, to keep working, to keep studying, and to keep learning! Instead of your math course being a chore that you simply need to complete successfully, having a sense of curiosity will make learning math enjoyable!