I teach. As I tell my students, “I just don’t teach about math, I teach about life.” Some of that is said in jest but it’s also true. The fact that I interact with teenagers everyday is more important to me than making sure they can solve equations. Not that the latter isn’t important but it’s hard to get buy-in from teenagers unless you take an interest in them.
I had significant teachers in my life and while I learned about a lot of math from Mr. Baker and music from Mr. Jacobi, I learned just as much about life from them. And that’s who I strive to be.
Practically speaking, I’ve taught mostly math with a little computers and physics thrown in here and there. Occasionally a pizza class and once a student trip to the UK. One of the best compliments I’ve received was this: “you’re one of the most informal math teacher I’ve ever seen.” Not sure my principal at the time meant it that way but it does sum up my teaching pretty well.
