Dear Editor,
The article in the October 2013 Scholium, “Accelerated math extends learning limits,” highlighted one of the strengths of an Episcopal Academy education: the flexibility to challenge and meet the needs of our students.
There is a decided swelling of enthusiasm for the mathematical sciences in recent years at EA, and thanks to the unwavering support of the administration, we have been able to respond to it.
It is an exciting time in mathematics at the Academy, and it is true that I hope that we become known as the best math program in the region.
I write to address a quibble I had with the photo caption that read “Goebeler and the US math department confuse MS and US students alike.” I’d like to focus on the word “confuse.” According to the caption editor, it appears that it was merely a case of an ill-chosen word and not intended as commentary. That’s a satisfactory explanation, but I see this moment as an opportunity.
The members of the math department pride themselves on the clarity of their instructional delivery.
We constantly strive to make dense and difficult material clearer and more easily digestible. No teacher seeks to confuse students.
Mathematics, through literally thousands of years of human endeavor, has become a training ground for honing logical thinking.
The care put into mathematical definitions and air-tight proofs grants students the chance to master complex ideas in an intellectually stimulating subject.
This in part explains our recent growth. Constructing logical, unassailable arguments appeals to many students and is a skill that is transferable to other disciplines and pursuits.
For example, law schools are delighted when they see an applicant has majored in mathematics.
I invite members of the community to drop in on one of my courses if they wish to get a first-hand look at some of the options we provide.
But let me warn you: the enthusiasm is contagious and you might just become a regular member of the course!
Sincerely,
Tom Goebeler