Author Archives: Brian Simanek

By Brian Simanek Many mathematicians, both students and faculty, are constantly looking for ways to become more effective teachers.  I have attended TA training sessions but much of the instruction was devoted to rules and policies and not effective teaching.  … Continue reading →

By Brian Simanek I recently had a conversation with a colleague and former classmate of mine in the computer science department at my university.  He described his work to me as “basically conformal geometry,” a field in which I am … Continue reading →

By Brian Simanek A small group at my University is currently toying with the idea of creating a “math boot camp” for incoming graduate students.  This would be a short series of review courses intended to help students brush up … Continue reading →

By Brian Simanek One key Statistic often used to evaluate the status of failing schools is illiteracy rates.  Of course it is commonly accepted that all children beyond a certain age should be able to read.  However, receiving far less … Continue reading →

By Brian Simanek Recently, a local elementary school student sent me a letter as part of a class assignment. He said he was interested in studying math in college and asked me about extra work he can do to get … Continue reading →