Teaching Moments #1

I have always wanted to be a teacher. And when I am able to teach the topics I want, in the way that I want, I am a very good teacher. One of the best.

I have always had a special gift for explaining complex material in simple ways. This is my special gift. And in this, I have always been one of the best teachers in my subject areas.

For me, a teacher is someone who can explain practical information, in ways that are easy for you to understand. He shows you useful skills, and presents these skills in ways that you can master them. A teacher also offers wisdom and guidance on various aspects of life.

This is what a teacher really is. A teacher is not a clown, he is not a circus performer. A teacher is someone who can explain useful information, no matter how complex, and make it very simple for the student (or listener, reader) to understand.

My mentor Dr. Simon Bott summed this up when he wrote of my teaching style: “A genius will not be bored, yet an infant can understand”.

Whenever I was allowed to teach the way I wanted, I was always at my best. Practical information, students enjoyed coming to class, and everyone said how easy (and sometimes fun) it was to learn the material. Many students actually enjoyed learning what I had to offer.

During those best of times, I had a few great teaching moments. Here are a few of those:

1. Memory Device for Battery Processes

Everyone has heard of the memory aid LEO GER: "Lose Electron Oxidized", and "Gain Electron Reduced". Yet I came with my own additional memory aid for batteries:

“Anode, Oxidizes, Eaten Away” and “Cathode, Reduces, Fuzzy”

This is used to remember which metal does what. The anode oxidizes and gets eaten away – you can remember this because they each start with a vowel. Then on the other side, the cathode reduces and gets fuzzy – you can remember this because they each start with a vowel.

Now when you look at the fuzzy metal you know it is a cathode. And when you look at the metal which seems to have been eaten away, you know it is the anode!

2. Spaghetti Lecture for Heat Capacity

My all-time favorite lecture is what I call my “Spaghetti Lecture”. I explain the concepts of heat capacity by boiling water to cook spaghetti.

We have the metal pan, which transfers heat energy quickly. We have the water, which is where we want our energy to go. And we have the handle of the pan, made of a different material, so that it won’t feel too hot when we touch it. These are different examples showing the different values and uses of heat capacity. (Of course the lecture goes on from there, with detailed concepts, and a few equations). This has always been one of my favorite lectures.

3. Praise from Vice President of AMD

One of the best forms of praise I got regarding presentations was from a Vice President of AMD.

Early in my life I worked as an engineer, at Advanced Micro Devices. I wasn’t really an engineer, but I wanted the practical experience so that I could teach practical skills to my future students. (Silly me – I was naïve enough to think that schools would actually want me to teach practical skills, especially skills for a major industry. AMD still makes many microchips. You would think what I learned about the processes would be useful to students. Alas, no school wanted me to teach such practical skills).

In any case, while I was there our team was required to give a presentation. I don’t remember exactly what the topic was. We divided the subject into four areas, and my area was the last. It was also the most mathematical.

In the audience that day was one of the Vice Presidents of AMD. After the presentation he said that I “gave one the best technical presentations he’d seen in years.” This is high praise from any person, but especially high praise from a Vice President of a major semiconductor company.

And by the way, he did not say it directly to me. I heard him say it to someone else. Thus, really it was: “Who was that last presenter? Mark? He gave one of the best technical presentations I’d seen in years.” This was one of my proudest moments.

4. “You are a real miracle worker”

I often taught math in high school. Was never my first choice, but that was where they needed me. I taught a variety of subjects, to a variety of academic levels of students. But the mother of one student really made me feel good.

This young girl was making D’s. I managed to teach her until she got up to the B range. I didn’t change anything in my grading, it was simply the way that I worked with her, and that I explained things to her.

The mother came to meet with me one day, as part of a parent-teacher discussion. And here is what she said to me: “You are a true Miracle Worker. My daughter had given up on math long ago. She has an interest in math again.”

This is valuable praise from anyone. For a mother to say that I was a “miracle worker” for her student is a big deal. I also recall that the mother talked a bit about how her daughter stopped being interested in math for some time, so the fact that “she has an interest in math again” and that we had gotten her from a D to a B in just a few weeks is a major accomplishment.

One more thing: As the mother used the word “miracle worker” I noted the cross on her necklace. Of course I would not ask her specifically about her religion, but usually the people who wear crosses have very strong faith. In other words, I don’t think the term “miracle worker” is something she throws around randomly.

Yes, in my life I have had a few good teaching moments. I wish there could have been more. Maybe there will be more moments like this again, maybe someday soon.