Math Pre-course

I am passionate about teaching...

“I am very passionate about teaching. Definitely.”

My teaching enables my students to...

"begin their studies well prepared."

My role in teaching...

"My expectation of myself is to go into this event well prepared and responsive to the participants. I don't do the presentation in the lecture for myself, but for the students. I wish to teach mathematics in such a way that the idea is established in the minds of my listeners that the mathematics exam can be managed well, provided there is a willingness to do it. I am enthusiastic about mathematics. It still gives me a lot of pleasure. I think about how to implement and develop every exercise and lecture I give. Like how I can better graph a task or just package it better so students can understand it easier. In other words, you never stop tweaking it."

My goal...

"Is that students begin their studies well prepared, school math is reviewed, contacts are made, and orientation to the program and the university occurs before classes begin."

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Structure:

"The math pre-course is held two weeks before the semester begins. The daily schedule is structured as follows: In the mornings we start with an exercise. Here, the practice exercises from the previous day are worked through together, then I write them neatly on the board. Suggestions and input from students are incorporated into the outcome. Subsequently, "new" material is taught in the lecture. This is exclusively school mathematics starting with the intermediate level. After the lunch break, exercise courses take place. These take place in single-level lecture halls that are close to each other. Students get together in small groups, which we strongly support. The task sheet for the respective course day is then worked on with tasks that fit the material heard in the morning. If questions or problems arise, my team of tutors and I are there to support the students."

Learning objective:

"The ultimate goal is to inspire students to have an intrinsic motivation to engage with mathematics. This means that they should develop their own interest in identifying and closing existing gaps in the school material. In this process, they are supported by the whole pre-course team. By the end of the course, they should feel well prepared for their studies."

Evaluation/ Feedback:

"We did evaluations as part of the pre-course. It came out that especially the division into input in the morning and exercise in the afternoon is a good structure for the students. Practicing with the support of the tutors and myself is particularly valuable for the students, also because initial contacts are made here. The inhibition to ask questions with this format is also particularly low."

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  Respectful interactions

"It is very important to me that we treat each other with respect. From the beginning, I try to make clear what culture I want. It is important to me that everyone listens to each other and they are quiet when someone asks something. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be taken for granted. To succeed, you have to warn them more often, but it's worth it. Also, I expect students to sit up front and not hide somewhere in the back. That's what I want from them, and in return, my quid pro quo is that I promise them that I will never call on them if they don't raise their hand."

  Questions welcome

"I quickly make it clear from the beginning that I welcome collaboration and that they should ask questions without being shy, even if the students themselves think a question is stupid. In addition, I offer open office hours that people can attend without having to sign up. Questions about the material, old exams, school math, etc. can be addressed here. They don't have to call, they can just come."

  Culture of constructive criticism

"Everyone makes mistakes. I make mistakes, too. Talking about them openly is meant to encourage the students to imitate this, that is, to deal openly with their own mistakes. If you learn from mistakes, then you’re always moving forward."

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"The tutorial program now consists of fixed modules, but each semester they are variably adapted to the needs of the respective participants. In the summer semester of 2020, we conducted and evaluated an online workshop in addition to the two on-site workshops. This has been very well received and allows students to learn independent of time and location in a way that can be specifically tailored to their knowledge. Selected topics can be deepened, for example, by means of further literature.

Because the Covid pandemic and Steps' project end date of 31 December 2020 mean that the tutorial program cannot continue in its current form, this first online workshop also served as a test run for a possible e-tutorial program that will be offered for the first time in the winter semester of 20/21."

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“Discussions with my Steps colleagues are very valuable for me. At the top of the list is Daniel Blessau, who has helped support most of the math courses since the project began. I can also discuss more in-depth subject information with him. Again and again we think about how the courses can be improved.

Discussion with and support from the team members have made the pre-course better: Thanks to them, the pre-course participants were welcomed in a pedagogically professional manner and the course was evaluated as well.

Tutors are also very important people to talk to; after all, they experience the teaching situation firsthand; they are instructors, but they are also good at putting themselves in the shoes of students who are new to campus."

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