Beyond the Numbers: Talat Gerges on Teaching Mathematics | Season 3 Episode 9

Episode Overview

• Experienced Head of Mathematics, Talat Gerges, shares his personal journey and the core philosophies that have shaped his decades-long teaching career, from Egypt to Australia.
• The discussion explores the psychological aspects of learning mathematics, using powerful analogies like the "Tomorrow Party" for procrastination and the "Broken Window Theory" for addressing small issues early.
• Talat outlines his practical teaching methods, such as scaffolding confidence and connecting concepts to real-world applications, emphasizing that a teacher's passion is the most critical tool for inspiration.
• The conversation highlights the teacher's role as a lifelong learner and a role model whose influence extends far beyond the curriculum to shape a student's character and motivation.

Key Concepts

• Teacher Enthusiasm: A teacher's passion for their subject is paramount. If the educator is not enthusiastic, they cannot effectively inspire or teach their students.
• The Broken Window Theory: Small, unaddressed problems (like a single missed homework assignment) can escalate, leading to a student's complete disengagement, similar to how one broken window can lead to the neglect of an entire building.
• The "Tomorrow Party": This is a term for student procrastination, where the perpetual delay of work leads to a negative self-image and a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.
• Scaffolding Confidence: A key teaching strategy is to start with simple, manageable questions to build a student's confidence, which then serves as a foundation for tackling more complex problems.
• Learning as a "Driver's License": Understanding a concept is like getting a driver's license; the real test is being able to "drive" or apply that knowledge in various unfamiliar conditions and problems.
• The Teacher as a Role Model: A teacher's responsibilities go beyond academics. Their presentation, character, and ability to model a love for learning are crucial for making a lasting impact.
• Lifelong Learning: Education is a continuous cycle. A great teacher is also a perpetual student, constantly learning from their students and adapting to new challenges.

Quotes

• At 2:42 - "'Wow, that's a very rewarding.' And then I keep teaching him until the last year of high school and he became a doctor." - Talat explains that his inspiration to become a teacher came from the profound satisfaction of helping his younger brother succeed in math.
• At 5:31 - "The teacher should give the students how important what he teach. And if the teacher is not enthusiastic to his own subject, he cannot carry on with the students. He cannot teach them anything." - Talat stresses that a teacher's passion and belief in their subject's importance is essential for inspiring and effectively educating students.
• At 8:54 - "The broken window theory... If you have a big building... and you find one window are broken... That's encourage him to broke another window... The same thing with the kids." - Talat uses the "Broken Window Theory" as an analogy for why it's crucial to address small problems immediately before they escalate.
• At 10:46 - "The students always having something it's named 'Tomorrow Party'... 'Tomorrow I will study.' And tomorrow never come." - Talat coins the term "Tomorrow Party" to describe the dangerous habit of procrastination among students.
• At 14:06 - "A quiet sea doesn't make a skillful sailor." - Talat shares a favorite quote he uses in class to prepare his students for a challenging problem, framing difficulty as an opportunity for growth.
• At 24:28 - "You have to start with the easy question... Make the students feel that they understand that level." - Talat explains his method of building student confidence by starting with manageable tasks before increasing the difficulty.
• At 25:11 - "When I teach you mathematics, it's exactly like when I teach you how to drive a car... when you get the license, you have to drive." - An analogy explaining that once students learn a concept, they must be ready to apply it to various unfamiliar problems.
• At 33:53 - "To be a very successful teacher, you have to have many features. First, your knowledge... Second, this knowledge should be in a frame of enthusiastic... you have to love what you're doing." - His core advice for new teachers, highlighting the need for both subject mastery and genuine passion.
• At 46:41 - "You see the one mistake I have done, but you didn't see all my right answer. You just see the wrong thing." - From an anecdote where he deliberately made one mistake to teach students that people in life often focus on a single negative rather than the many positives.
• At 50:39 - "If you stop teaching and learning, you stop life. It's a circle." - Articulating his belief that education is a continuous, lifelong process for both the teacher and the student.

Takeaways

• Address minor academic issues immediately to prevent them from escalating into major disengagement and a decline in student attitude.
• For parents and educators, focus praise on a child's effort and thought process rather than solely on their marks to foster a love for learning.
• Build confidence in any new skill by starting with simple, achievable tasks before gradually introducing more complex challenges.
• Combat the cycle of procrastination, as it can damage self-perception and lead to a belief that one is incapable.
• Treat knowledge not as a final goal, but as a tool to be applied flexibly to solve new and unfamiliar real-world problems.
• Embrace a mindset of continuous learning, recognizing that education is a dynamic, lifelong journey, not a destination.