Matthew Carlberg 2/3/2010

From Electrical Engineer to Algebra Teacher

When I enrolled in the PhD program at the University of California, Berkeley, I wanted

to become a professor of electrical engineering, a career that would combine my talents as a teacher and an engineer. If you had asked me then about the prospect of teaching secondary level mathematics, I would have quickly rejected the idea of teaching “unruly” high school students. However, I now realize my true calling: to teach math to creative, young adults. Volunteering for a year as a classroom assistant at Berkeley High School (BHS) has reversed my pre-conceptions about high school students and exposed me to the everyday joys and challenges of teaching. Furthermore, my experience as a researcher and teaching assistant at UC Berkeley provides me with unique technical and instructional abilities that will help me explain mathematical concepts and motivate my future students.

When I began assisting in Ms. Burke’s Algebra I class at BHS, the students were not immature and disruptive as I had expected, but rather they were full of energy and creativity. As Jonathan Kozol, an author and promoter of social justice in education, says, the students were full of “spontaneous emotion.” While it is certainly exciting when a student solves a system of equations for the first time, the impromptu, celebratory rap that he creates can be even more rewarding. It is also inspiring to see a student’s correct classwork adorned with beautiful artwork sketched in the margins. The opportunity to create and nurture a classroom environment that thrives on both academic achievement and creativity excites me more than the idea of becoming a professor ever did.

After working at BHS from January to June, I returned to Ms. Burke’s classroom in September with a new set of Algebra I students, and I learned how much effort is required to develop a constructive, rewarding classroom environment. A month into the school year as I helped Brandon* with a graphing problem, Denise pushed Brandon’s notebook onto the floor and yelled, “WHATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT?” I had never before observed such rude behavior at BHS. Within four weeks, the class shattered the romantic portrait of teaching that I had painted in my head. Each day I worried about what outbursts would occur in class; spontaneous emotion was clearly a double-edged sword. I understood later that I was witnessing—and experiencing for myself—a natural cycle of teaching. I learned from Ms. Burke that October and November are the toughest months for a teacher. Students have yet to bond with their teacher, and they directly test a teacher’s boundaries. However, having experienced the rewards of earning students’ trust, I know that getting through this nerve-racking process is part of creating a nurturing environment where students can open up and discover their academic and creative talents.

I know that I can foster an environment of excitement and success in my classroom by using modern tools that relate students’ math skills to interesting, real-world applications. By conducting research for three years as a graduate student in the Video and Image Processing Laboratory at UC Berkeley, I understand how tools from high school math are relevant in a technology-driven world. I look forward to incorporating lessons in my classes about how straight lines are used for predicting future trends and how trigonometric functions are used to transmit data over home wireless networks. Furthermore, as a teaching assistant at both UC Berkeley and Columbia University, I have seen how much intuition a student gains by interacting with mathematical theory through simulation, visualization, and laboratory experimentation. As a hands-on teacher, I want my students to learn y=mx+b not only by solving problems from a textbook but also by interacting with a computer animation that simulates a car race, with each car having a different velocity and starting point. My electrical engineering background enables me to create such animated examples and incorporate technology into the classroom.

I am nervous about changing careers. I question whether I can maintain discipline in my classroom, while still sharing my love of math. I wonder if teaching towards high-stakes, standardized tests will prevent me from instilling in my students an intuitive understanding of math. Despite these worries, my Algebra I students motivate me. They share with me their spontaneity, creativity, and laughter. They help me realize that, as a teacher and an engineer, my calling is to enable high school students to enjoy math and, if lucky, enjoy the learning process too.

*Student names have been changed.