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Apple_Mango
At the college I go to, there is somebody with a PHD in math who teaches Algebra 1. How common is this?
Common; maybe increasingly common.Apple_Mango said:At the college I go to, there is somebody with a PHD in math who teaches Algebra 1. How common is this?
Very true, but orthogonal to the OP question. I was lucky that the freshman Nobel laureate had, late in life, become highly interested teaching, and the Fields medalist was motivated to show that Dieudonne (Foundations of Modern Analysis) could successfully be used to teach second year students real analysis.DaveE said:I might also add, just for balance, some of the very worst lecturers I had to deal with were well respected researchers, full professors, and such. Usually because they just didn't care to teach well, they were recruited to do research and measured by their publications. Much depends on the institution and the level of the class.
jtbell said:When I saw "math major" in the thread title, I thought you meant someone who is still an undergraduate, or possibly with only an undergraduate degree in math. One normally doesn't use that term to refer to someone with a PhD.
mathwonk said:I have forgotten exactly who these men were, but when I googled the names that did come to mind, two of them were Nobel prize winners, including both men I thought were possibly the terrible lecturer.
It is fairly common for math majors to teach low level courses, especially at the undergraduate level. Many universities and colleges offer teaching assistant positions or other opportunities for math majors to gain teaching experience.
To teach low level math courses, math majors typically need a bachelor's degree in mathematics or a related field. Some universities may also require graduate-level coursework or a teaching certification.
Yes, math majors can often teach courses outside of their specific area of study, as long as they have a strong understanding of the subject matter. However, they may need to gain additional experience or take coursework in the specific subject they will be teaching.
Some common challenges for math majors teaching low level courses include effectively communicating complex concepts in a way that is understandable for students, managing a large class size, and creating engaging lesson plans.
Yes, there are often opportunities for math majors to advance to teaching higher level courses. This may require obtaining a graduate degree in mathematics or a related field, gaining additional teaching experience, and demonstrating a strong understanding of advanced math concepts.