This document contains information about ice breakers and orientation for a class. It discusses the instructor's background in radio and growing up in LA. It also outlines the instructor's two major teaching approaches: motivating students to embrace their education by coming to class prepared and seeking help when needed, and encouraging students to be comfortable with struggling as that is how real learning and growth occurs.

1. Ice Breakers and Orientation

2.  Jason Edington
◦ Apparently I used to
work in radio?
 Grew up in LA
area…
◦ Went to Jr. High
with…

3.  Jason Edington
◦ Apparently I used to
work in radio?
 Grew up in LA
area…
◦ Went to Jr. High
with…

4.  Jason Edington
◦ Apparently I used to
work in radio?
 Grew up in LA
area…
◦ Went to Jr. High
with…

5. ◦ What are my hobbies?

6.  There are two major features to my teaching that I am going to utilize in class.
◦ First: I work to motivate students to embrace their education.
 I encourage students:
 to come to every class
 be prepared for class
 do the Homework
 read ahead
 Attend study groups
 You may need to take the initiative and create one!
 Come for help as SOON as you start getting behind (or heck, even before!)

7.  There are two major features to my teaching that I am going to
utilize in class.
◦ Second: Consistently remind students to be OK with struggling.
 This is a safe environment to take a chance and be wrong.
 Only by trying, and struggling, can we really succeed and grow to our full potential.
 Because we are ALL in the same class together, we need to support each other through this!

8.  Being explicit about the conceptual structure, and interconnectedness,
of mathematics.
 Allowing students to struggle to understand concepts.
◦ This does NOT mean that I will throw you out into the wild on your own.
◦ Rather, it means that I will show you the basic ideas necessary to understand the
harder problems, and you will do the work in putting them together.
 (In other words, I’ll show you some examples, but for effective learning to take place,
you WILL struggle with problems. )
 HINT: The struggle is when the learning happens!

9.  There are two major features to my teaching that I am going to utilize in class.
◦ Again…
 Be motivated to do what it takes to learn the material.
 Be OK with struggling.
◦ Your success is the most important thing to me, and is why I teach.
◦ However, like a Sherpa, I can only show you the way…
 you have to do the climbing…

10.  Now, let’s hear about you!
◦ Please tell us the following:
 Name
 Major
 Something interesting about yourself