Teaching
Mathematics is elegant, powerful and surprising. For me, mathematics has never been just a job; it has always been a passion and a continuous game surrounded by logic, precision, elegance and perfection.
Teaching philosophy
Throughout my teaching career, I have had the opportunity to work with students at many stages of life, from primary school to university and recreational mathematics, both in the classroom and in individual settings.
As a teacher, I have often faced the question
My answer is close to the one given by Travers, J., et al. in Teaching Mathematics. New York: Harper & Row Company (1977):
With these three ideas in mind, I try to show my students the important ideas behind the mathematics we are studying, and why those ideas are not only important and useful but also beautiful and elegant. My main goal in my courses is for students to gain a fundamental understanding of the concepts and ideas behind the material, and to know how to use them in mathematics and in real-life situations.
Learning is a complex process that is often overshadowed by repetition and memorization. Students must build their own knowledge using previous experiences, discourse and reasoning. For this reason, I find it extremely useful when students collaborate in the development of the class. I try to turn them into active participants in the learning experience by using teaching methods such as inquiry-based learning, the Moore method and the flipped classroom.
Teaching style
My main goal in class is to create an educational, friendly and open environment where students feel free to participate. I try to create an open setting where students can ask questions freely and without worry. Every question is always a good starting point for a constructive discussion that will help them understand better.
In my opinion, lectures are important and necessary, but whenever time allows, I try to introduce an activity in which students have to rediscover mathematics by themselves in a natural way. I believe these activities are important for the development of the class, and I try to include them regularly.