Customer Reviews

Twenty Years Before the Blackboard: The Lessons and Humor of a Mathematics Teacher (Spectrum)

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I am a student in the author's computer science class. Having read this book and attending his class three times a week, I can assure everyone (especially "a reader from Denver, CO USA") that his stories are not made up and that Mr. Stueben is not a failed teacher. While he does teach his class in an unusual manner sometimes, I can say that it has been the greatest learning experience I have ever been part of. And I can also tell you that 95% of his students will say the same.

While teaching Computer Science every day, Mr. Stueben also seeks to improve us as learners and human beings, something many of my former teachers have been utterly unsuccessful in doing. Mr. Stueben believes that people do learn through failure, even if it stings a lot and ruins a report card. This was the case with me, too; I did poorly on a few of his tests in the first grading period. However, Mr. Stueben did take a conscious interest in me and my fellow students and he did encourage us to study and start passing (and acing) his tests. Guess what? I finished the class with a 4.0.

It is unfair to judge the author simply by reading his book. Mr. Stueben is undoubtedly the greatest teacher I have ever had. Don't take my word for it; read the book and instead of instantly putting the author down, try to believe that what he says is the truth, as I and 125 other students of his each year can testify.

If all the tasks in the world were to be partitioned into numbered hard and easy piles, the inequality would be substantially open on the side of the hard. Teaching done well is one of the hardest. While it is an exercise in small mass psychology, there is very little in the way of a collective mind in a classroom. The analogy that makes everything clear to one person can create additional confusion in the minds of all others, and teaching mathematics is often by analogy. Even when teaching is "quantified" we are rarely certain what it is that is being measured.
Fortunately, in this particular section of the muddied morass, there are many high points where we can catch some light. Well crafted and often humorous, this book is one of them. With almost twenty years of experience in teaching mathematics at the high school level, the author has many interesting and humorous stories to share. Even more important, you can use them to make your teaching more effective. Many of his teaching hints seem a bit unorthodox in the sense that he bends some of the hard "rules" of teaching. Such as helping students formulate their arguments in favor of being given a chance to take a missed exam.
However, the high points are the humor. While some of the jokes are old groaners, many are hilarious and poke fun at many of the foibles and idiosyncrasies of mathematicians and computer programmers. As both a mathematician and a computer scientist, I recognized a trace of myself in many of them. A good joke is the classic ice breaker at parties and professional lectures, so why not do the same thing in math class?
Teaching abstract concepts effectively is one of the hardest, most necessary tasks in the modern world and all teachers need to take advantage of every available resource. Buy this book and read it for fun. Then read it again and use it as a resource to improve your teaching.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permision.

You will get sick of hearing this again and again, but here goes: I am currently a student in Mr. Stueben's computer science class. You may think this is a biased opinion, but I assure you that the fact I am in the author's class will not hinder this review. It will strengthen the points I make and disprove some other comments make by other reviewers.

As you read this book, you will get a lot of fun out of it. As many people say, his methods may be a bit bizarre, but it has worked magic on his classes. It depends on if you know how to use this information correctly and make your class enjoyable; if you do, then please use it - it will make 99% of your students leaned toward your side.

Mr. Stueben does not lie ever - and he will not lie in his book. Keep in mind that all the information in the book has been used on his students and has been tested and approved. Read it to enjoy the story of his life as a math and CS teacher, or read it to use it for your teaching career. Either way, in my opinion, this has been one of the most enjoyable books I have read so far!

Quoted from another person below, "It is obvious that the author made up many, if not all of these stories about his successes, because he is obviously a failed teacher. I pity all of the students he has taught."

I must respectfully disagree with this statement, as 1) Mr. Steuben never lies, 2) Mr. Stueben is NOT a failed teacher, and 3) As a part of the student body of his class, I must say that this offends me and other students.

Authors don't write books to lie - authors write books to benefit the population.

The book is fabulous! If you like math you'll love the math problems and humor in it. If not still a great book. I personally know the author, and am living proof of his teaching methods. He doesn't spoon feed and his classes are hard, but if you ask for help he does everything he can. Just remember as he says in his book if the teacher doesn't build up a good relationship with the students, they'll just make fun of the jokes, and if the teacher don't teach well and gives more work instead of intellectually stimulating work it will just backfire. It's not just the knowledge thats taught, but the thinking and life skills that the students take away with them and keep with them for the longest at the end of the course and he does a great job on focusing on that.

Although I do agree with the comments of Mr. Steuben's supporters, our teacher from Colorado has a valid point--many of his techniques will fail or become much less effective under a regular class. Recall that Mr. Steuben has been teaching at Jefferson--a magnet school, for nearly his whole career. There is a great possibility that public school students find his style far less enlightening.

Precalculus Quiz
M. Stueben (March 5, 2003)

IT HAS come to my attention that some students do not like my quizzes. Consequently, until morale improves, all quiz questions will be written in Mandarin Chinese. Good luck!

DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer to the following question from the choices below.

(Chinese text you don't need to know to solve it)

A. All of the below.
B. None of the below.
C. All of the above.
D. One of the above.
E. None of the above.
F. None of the above.

aaand that is the kind of teacher he is. I'm in his precalc class; he may seem like a strange kook (especially if you've seen him in person), but he is truly an excellent teacher. And I personally attest that Dan Tran and Mr. Stueben are two people who will never lie if they can manage it. And this book will do you good to read.

Although my wish in my Title could never have been possible,since the book was written only 9 years ago;I have to admit most of the Mathematics I learned and loved so much in school and university ,has pretty well left me.It's amazing how much we lose from 50 years of not using something. People often mention how they can lose a language by not using it,....well try Mathematics!!!
I have kept up my interest in Mathematical Recreations and Puzzles ever since I developed it in High School;but a great deal of what the author talks about is pretty well lost to me now.
However;I still found this book fascinating. It was interesting to look at the World of Mathematics through the eyes of someone who tried to interest his students in it. I have found my interest in Mathematical Recreations and Puzzles over the years has been pretty much of a solitary journey.
I credit a High School teacher with encouraging me .In Grade 10,we were introduced to Logarithms. I stayed after class and told him how much they fascinated me and how I liked Puzzles. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out what looked to me like a ruler with scales and a 'slider' on it.He asked me If I'd ever seen one of these.He told me it was a Slide Rule and the scales were based on Logs and that it could be used to do what the Log tables could do ,that we were studying. He got me to try a few things ,and saw how much it amazed me. He sent me home with it and a book of instructions and in no time I was using it...the only one in the school at the time.Later on,I studied Engineering,and in many ways it was my love for Math that made Engineering more like solving Puzzles than studying.
It seems to me ,the author of this book was made of much of the same stuff as my High School teacher. I always felt it was far more important and difficult for a teacher to inspire than correct;and probably because it is harder,few work very hard at it. I discussed this with a retired University President one day while out Birding in the Gulf Stream ,on a boat,off Cape Hattaras, N.C. I told him that in all my years as a student in school and University;thatI can think of only 2 Teachers ,who ever really inspired me. His reply amazed me. "If you had two,consider yourself very lucky".
From reading this book;I definately got the feeling that the author was one of these "Rare Ones".
This is a wonderful book on what teaching is all about;and the ideas in it apply to any subject;not only Mathematics.

I received this book during my first year as a high school math teacher. Now, in my 8th year, it is falling apart. Steuben's suggestions for making advanced math interesting to the student are very helpful. Throughout the book, he includes many fun problems from his files, and I have enjoyed incorporating those into my classes.

The book is definitely for the math expert who enjoys teaching both the subject and the students. Michael's humor (akin to the old "Would I?" "Wood eye!" type of joke) will entertain most readers, but moreso those who can relate to the mathematical background, as most of the witticisms demand math background for understanding. If you are losing your love for the field, this may just tickle your fancy!

The methods in this book will not work for every teacher, but obviously work for this talented and gifted man. His insights and observations will give that added oomph to inspire you to a renewed mission of teaching our students to appreciate and love mathematics.

I am a teacher in Colorado. Being interested in new ways to stimulate my students and inspire them to learn, I picked up this book. Although its message sounds good, it is in fact impractical and impossible to apply to the classroom without losing control of the students. It is obvious that the author made up many, if not all of these stories about his successes, because he is obviously a failed teacher. I pity all of the students he has taught.