Why I Teach
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Why We Teach

Ashley Bishop
Ashley Bishop

Michelle Skidmore
Michelle Skidmore

Steve Datolla
Dave Datolla

Wendell Crow
Wendell Crow


Interviews:
Belinda Karge
David Pagni
Nancy Segal


Alumni Responses:
Letters from teachers

Q & A with:

David Pagni

Why do you teach?
There is great personal satisfaction in being able to help others understand and appreciate the nuances of mathematics. This answer would probably fit most teachers, but for mathematics it is especially important because it is such a difficult subject. Many people will openly admit that they "were never very good at math." The issue of math anxiety and fear of mathematics makes it a challenge to change attitudes towards math. This job is never more important than when preparing elementary and secondary school teachers, for they are the ones who will carry the message to their students.

Who motivates you?
Of course I am self-motivated, which means I am motivated when there are successes or when there is positive feedback from students. By students I mean college students and practicing teachers who attend professional development courses taught by me. It is also true that I am motivated by colleagues, as we do this type of work together, including publishing in the area of mathematics education.

How would you describe your teaching style?
I try to teach in a way that engages students in the learning process and encourages them to reflect on their progress. An important component of this process is sometimes called "teaching for understanding." That is to say, it is important that students understand the reason behind a mathematical formula or algorithm and not just memorize it. There is still plenty of room for memorizing definitions and other facts in math, but not to the point of doing the memorizing without understanding why or where it fits into the body of knowledge. We all need to feel that we have control over the material in order to feel successful learning the material.

When did you decide to teach?
I decided to teach mathematics when I was a senior in high school. I had success prior to that time tutoring peers in math, but sometime in a class for seniors that looked into aptitude and careers I firmly decided that I wanted to teach high school math. Later, I returned to college to get my master's degree with the intention to returning to high school, but one thing led to another and I became interested in mathematics education and becoming a school district supervisor of mathematics. However, before that came to pass, I was awarded a fellowship to pursue in Ph.D. in mathematics education with the intention of preparing future teachers of mathematics. That is when I came to Cal State Fullerton, in the middle of that program. That was 1969 and I finally completed the degree in 1972.

What makes you remain at Cal State Fullerton?
When I first came to CSUF I only planned on staying for a couple of years. But the university has been such an inspirational place to work that those two stretched to more than 30. Here I have always had the support for doing the work that I do, work that I think we should be doing at the university level with our pre-college partners. The Orange County area has also been one that has allowed me to work with K-12 districts, including students, parents, teachers, and administrators, usually with the help of external funding.

David L. Pagni
Professor of Mathematics


Interview: Nancy Segal »