-: My name is Irene Eizen.
I currently teach at Temple University,
mathematics education for elementary school teachers,
undergraduate and graduate.
Both are similar courses
teaching elementary school mathematics, pre-K to four.
My week involves a great deal of preparation
regardless of how long I've taught,
every year is new and fresh
and I kind of start over.
Not so much with the content as with trying to keep up
with the changes in teaching and the changes in technology
and you know, giving my students the best that I can
for today's society.
The syllabus is redone every semester.
Now that we have a new course management system
I have to learn that canvas,
so I have to set up a new canvas course every semester.
Professional readings, I look for new articles
I want my students to read.
I even have the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
I call them every semester,
so they send me sample copies of their journals
so I can distribute them to my students
to teach them about professional development
and the importance of staying current
and focused and learning beyond
what you're going to have in the textbook.
And the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics,
I've been a member for
close to 50 years
and I go to their conferences.
I used to speak at their conferences.
I don't do that anymore, but I did.
It's very important to keep up with technological changes
as well as changes in the profession.
There's always new ways of teaching,
better ways of teaching.
One of the first assignments I have my students do is
to write a math autobiography
so I get to know them really well.
And this enables me to tailor my course
to address some of their concerns.
My classes are very non-routine.
We still do all the content that we have to do,
but we do it in more
of an inquiry-based, non-routine fashion.
And students see to very much enjoy
and most of all develop confidence
in their ability to do mathematics,
which is one of my ultimate goals.