Stephen S. Willoughby has taught mathematics for 59 years and he has seen everything. Some of it has annoyed him; some has inspired him. This little book is something of a valedictory and he shares some parting thoughts as he contemplates the end of his teaching career. Willoughby has strong, cogent, and mostly negative opinions about textbooks, standardized testing, and teacher training. These opinions have been forged in the cauldron of the classroom of a deeply caring teacher. They might not please readers, but they ought to make them think. They should spark needed debate in our community. Ultimately, this is a human tale with rough parallels to Hardy's “A Mathematician's Apology”; replace “mathematicians” with “teachers” perhaps. Every teacher will sympathize with Willoughby's frustrations and empathize with the humanity and compassion that animated his life's work and that beat at the center of this book.
Stephen S. Willoughby has taught mathematics for 59 years and he has seen everything. Some of it has annoyed him; some has inspired him. This little book is something of a valedictory and he shares some parting thoughts as he contemplates the end of his teaching career. Willoughby has strong, cogent, and mostly negative opinions about textbooks, standardized testing, and teacher training. These opinions have been forged in the cauldron of the classroom of a deeply caring teacher. They might not please readers, but they ought to make them think. They should spark needed debate in our community. Ultimately, this is a human tale with rough parallels to Hardy's “A Mathematician's Apology”; replace “mathematicians” with “teachers” perhaps. Every teacher will sympathize with Willoughby's frustrations and empathize with the humanity and compassion that animated his life's work and that beat at the center of this book.
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