What follows below is an introduction
to one of Linden’s most popular teachers, Nasrin Matini,
and our recent conversation with her about teaching girls
math.
If you walk by Nasrin’s classroom,
you might see her sitting on a desk in a corner, listening
to students arguing about parabola and why the different coefficient
of x2 changes the shape of a parabola. When we asked some
of her senior students to talk about her, this is what they
had to say:
“Nasrin has a deep-rooted belief in
us, and she is not satisfied with us unless she knows that
we have fulfilled the potential she sees in us. She will match
any effort you put in. If you want to do well, she will stay
in school till 6:00 PM everyday till she has helped you improve
your math skills. In class, she is so open to suggestions,
and to trying different methods of solving equations and problems.”
Another student admitted: “Nasrin’s
the reason why I’m still doing math. I had completed
all my high school math requirements, but felt...hmm...no
more math, no more Nasrin. So I’m taking AP math, which
is weird because I plan to study linguistics at university.
I suppose this is what is called ‘the joy of learning
math’.”
Nasrin has over 25 years experience teaching
math and physics in the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Her favourite subjects in high school were math, history and
literature. She has quite a few stories to tell you about
the time she first started teaching in a boys’ public
school in England. This is Nasrin’s seventh year teaching
Linden’s high school students math.
Linden: Recent news articles indicate that
Harvard University’s president thinks men perform better
in math than women because of biological differences. Is he
right, or is he just perpetuating a myth?
Nasrin: Unfortunately, Mr. Lawrence
Summers’ views are widely accepted to be true. Research
indicates that there are biological differences in how girls
and boys learn. This difference does not mean that girls are
less able to learn. However, this is not understood by most
people. Teachers of mathematics and science have not paid
enough attention to how boys’ and girls’ learning
styles are different. Therefore they don’t engage in
a multiplicity of teaching styles which cater to a multiplicity
of learning styles.
Linden helps girls overcome this defeatist
approach to math. Math is the foundation of so many career
options, such as engineering and computer science. Those who
stop taking it in higher grades close doors on many opportunities.
The reason why girls don’t take advanced mathematics
is not because they do not like it, it is because they are
certain that they are not good at it.
Linden: Most parents of new students at
Linden also tell us that their daughters are “not good”
at math. Indeed, a majority of new students coming to Linden,
when tested, show that they have gaps in their understanding
of math. Yet, graduating Linden students boast that while
they were failing in math at other schools, Linden teachers
enabled them learn math with great results - sometimes in
the 90s! How does this “math miracle” take place
at Linden? What pedagogical approach do you use in helping
these new students develop their skills and confidence in
math?
Nasrin: I have to admit that parental
stereotyping of girls’ abilities and potential in math
has a major effect on their self-esteem. Some parents have
lower expectations for their daughters than their sons, and
believe that their daughter’s success in math is due
to effort rather than ability. I have often heard it said
that Suzy Q carries her mother’s genes and is not good
in math. One of our most important jobs is to persuade Suzy
Q’s mom and dad that excelling in math is not genetic.
We have been successful in teaching girls
to love math because of our unique pedagogy. We have developed
our pedagogy in conjunction with research on girls’ brains
and the social/emotional developmental stages that we know
girls go through. We cannot teach all students as if they
are all the same. My main goal when I start teaching a group
of students is to learn how they learn best, and to teach
them accordingly.
Research shows that girls learn math differently
from boys. They are more prone to be relationship-based, to
work well in groups, discussing problems and working with
hands-on manipulatives. This research is the basis of our
pedagogy, and employs the concept of constructivism. It focuses
on understanding and explaining rather than just memorizing.
Like history, math can be analyzed and discussed.
When I introduce a new concept, I make sure that I explain
where the formula comes from, why it was invented, and how
it can be applied to different problems.
My policy is to foster a can-do attitude
in the classroom, and to encourage students to develop confidence
in their abilities by taking risks. My students are forbidden
from answering questions by saying “This answer is probably
wrong,” or “This is probably a very stupid question.”
Instead, I encourage them to view different solutions and
discuss their validity. This gives them plenty of opportunity
to share questions, solutions, methods and ideas about math.
A Linden alumna reported to me that she
dropped calculus at university because the professor was not
able to make the subject as interesting as she had always
found it at Linden. Therefore, it is important, when teaching
girls, to make the subject matter come alive. I talk about
calculus as if it has a life of its own. In class we discuss
formulas and our favourite approaches to solving problems,
and the girls always argue and discuss all aspects of the
problems and the solutions they have discovered. It would
be hard not to get involved in our heated discussions, and
not to have an opinion!
I always tell my students that the solutions
I provide for mathematical problems are the solutions I like
the most, or the only ones I know of. They should find their
own favourite solution and teach me a few as well. This approach
motivates students to be more creative, and to think about
math beyond the classroom. It is amazing to see them come
in the following day with a variety of solutions, some that
I have never come across before!
Since most girls are given the impression
that math is a male-dominated subject, succeeding in math
and solving problems gives them a great sense of enjoyment
and accomplishment. In order to solve a problem, I show them
how to break it down to find a solution. I believe this approach
applies to life in general! If the problem seems too big,
solve it one step at a time.
Linden: How has the math curriculum changed
over the years, and how has your teaching style/approach changed
to adapt to these changes?
Nasrin: Math curriculum has not changed
over the years, it has simply shifted its weight from one
class into another. After omitting OAC math, most of the concepts
were divided into the rest of the high school, and the remainder
were left homeless. They are not even covered in the calculus
programme, and students who take calculus in the first year
of university suffer because of this omission. I try to introduce
them to some of these missing concepts, but a compressed ministry
expectation does not always allow us to find the time. Textbooks
mostly cover material that is neither useful nor interesting
to our students. Textbook publishers merely focus on making
the books heavier so that they can sell them for a higher
price. It is essential for math teachers to go beyond textbooks,
to research the Internet and to use multiple sources. I use
books from the U.K. and other countries to supplement the
shortcomings in our textbooks.
Linden: What topics/math areas do students
enjoy studying the most, and what do they dislike or try to
avoid? How do you handle all this?
Nasrin: Parts of the Grade 12 calculus
are not popular with students. My strategy is to not teach
it all at once. I break up the monotony of teaching the same
topic by introducing another which is less abstract and more
applicable. However, all Linden high school students take
calculus. It is gradually becoming a compulsory requirement
for university entrance and students are aware of the fact
that they need calculus for more than 90% of the courses they
wish to take at university -- even literature! Calculus broadens
the mind, it makes you think beyond the ordinary. Unpredictable
problems might arise when you are trying to solve a question.
Calculus helps you find solutions to the unexpected.
However, at this moment, my geometry and
discrete math class is the most popular amongst students.
This subject is more applicable to the girls’ lives and
they relate to it much more easily -- especially if they wish
to pursue engineering at university.
Linden: Why did you choose to teach at
Linden? What are the advantages of teaching at Linden?
Nasrin: When I saw the position advertised
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There it was -- an opportunity
to teach at a girl-centred school. I had to check out this
place. Anyway, I came. I saw, and I was conquered. Especially
after I was interviewed by three very articulate, self-assured,
grade eleven students. Now, a few grey hairs later, looking
back, I realize it was the best decision I ever made.
And to answer the second part of the question,
I could actually name quite a few. The most important one
is, thanks to our small classes, we get to know the students
very well. We try to learn everyone’s ability, interest,
and talent, then provide them with a certain comfort level
that helps them develop greater self-confidence and broader
interests. I believe this is what sets Linden apart -- giving
us the luxury of developing an in-depth understanding of how
girls learn and succeed.
Linden: You are not only a Linden teacher,
but also a Linden parent. Do you have any advice for Linden
parents on the subject of math and their daughters?
Nasrin: When I started teaching at
Linden, my daughter was in another school. After a few weeks
of observing how Linden teachers taught and how involved the
Co-Principals’ were with the students I knew that this
is where I wanted my daughter to study and to graduate from.
Believe it or not, sometimes I think that I was meant to find
Linden because Tara was destined to study in a school where
the opportunity for learning and growing up is unlimited.
Linden gave her the confidence to be able to stand up in front
of a crowd and voice her opinion.
For me, Tara experienced Linden’s
ability to support and listen to each girl. I always viewed
Tara as a math student who would pursue math at university
and find a math-related job (but not as a math teacher!).
However, Linden and her teachers helped her understand that
she need not restrict herself to math in order to pursue her
dreams. I am sure that if she had been at another school,
no one would have taken any notice of her abilities and she
would have had to do something that was expected of her. I
am proud to say that she has now chosen to pursue political
science at university. I don’t think there is anything
else that I can say as a mother and as a teacher that can
explain the positive effect that Linden has on its students.
How many of you have ever heard so many students say that
they love their school?
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